Sen. Lindsay Graham Jokes Trump Should Commit More Crimes To Avoid Prosecution

Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-South Carolina) joked on Friday that former President Donald Trump could avoid prosecution in New York by committing crimes such as property damage, shoplifting and assaulting a police officer.

The joke is an apparent jab at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is currently in charge of prosecuting Trump in a case related to hush money payments to a porn star during the 2016 election. A grand jury for an indictment on Thursday.

Bragg has been criticized, particularly by right-wing figures such as Graham, for being soft on crime in New York City. His critics often point to his decision to not prosecute certain crimes, as well as more lenient charging, bail, plea and sentencing policies during his tenure.

Since rumors of Trump’s indictment began circulating, many conservatives have made the argument that Bragg’s actions are misguided, given his supposed inaction on criminal activity in his jurisdiction.

It is too soon to tell if the recent rise in certain non-violent crimes such as robbery and burglary is a direct result of Bragg’s changes.

Trump himself has made violent threats towards Bragg, including posting an image on his Truth Social account of himself with a baseball bat next to the Manhattan D.A. Trump has also called Bragg, a black man, a “Soros-backed animal,” awidely considered to be racist and antisemitic.

Trump is expected to spend the night in his Trump Tower apartment in Manhattan on Monday and head to a New York courthouse Tuesday afternoon. There, he will be fingerprinted and have his mugshot taken by New York officials.

Trump has hired Todd Blanche, a former assistant U.S. attorney from Manhattan’s U.S. attorney’s office, to represent him in the upcoming prosecution. Blanche has represented other high-profile clients in Trump’s inner circle such as Paul Manafort and Igor Fruman.