Two days after the unsealing of the 37-count indictment against former President Donald Trump for allegedly mishandling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home, ABC's This Week co-moderator George Stephanopoulos was full of partisan sanctimony. After a highly-partisan opening monologue and subsequent panel discussion of Trump's legal woes, the former Clinton administration official turned to Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. It did not go well for him.
"Donald Trump has said repeatedly that he did nothing wrong," Stephanopoulos noted. Do you believe that?"
The Senator didn't take the bait and instead turned it around on the Democrat activist. "Well, here’s what I believe. We live in an America where if you’re the Democratic candidate for President, Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, you can set up a private server in your basement to conduct government business," Graham said before getting rudely cut off.
"Senator," Stephanopoulos said in frustration.
Graham angrily shot back: "No, let me finish!"
"But you didn't answer the question," the host replied.
Shoving his leftist bias back in his face, Graham rebutted "I am trying to answer the question from a Republican point of view. That may not be acceptable on this show."
Finally getting a chance to utter a complete thought without getting rudely interrupted, Graham schooled him:
What I don't like is a system in America where the Secretary of State, who's a Democratic candidate for president, has people take a hammer to social media devices and break them apart, apply bleach bit to a hard drive to erase emails, allowed classified information to get on a felon’s computer, Anthony Weiner. You haven’t even mentioned that! Most Republicans believe we live in a country where Hillary Clinton did very similar things and nothing happened to her. President Trump will have his day in court. But Espionage charges are absolutely ridiculous. Whether you like Trump or not, he did not commit Espionage. He did not disseminate, leak, or provide information to a foreign power or a news organization that damaged this country. He's not a spy. He’s overcharged. Did he do things wrong? Yes, he may have. He will be tried about that. But Hillary Clinton wasn’t.
Graham then brought up a sore subject that is rarely mentioned on ABC's This Week, that one of the moderators is a former Clinton administration staffer: "Your old boss committed perjury in a civil lawsuit. Lost his law license, obstructed justice in a dozen ways and he didn't get prosecuted."
"And he was impeached," Stephanopoulos responded trying to deflate Graham's argument.
"Well, he was impeached but he wasn’t prosecuted," Graham shot back.
Stephanopoulos then stuttered and attempted to change the subject: "You’ve made your point."
As previously reported by NewsBusters, on Friday Stephanopoulos acted in a similar manner when then-Trump attorney Jim Trusty brought up the Biden classified documents scandal as an example of there being unequal justice in the United States.
It's clear the former Clinton staffer has very thin skin.
This segment was made possible by Verizon. Their information is linked.
To read the transcript click "expand":
ABC’s This Week
6/11/2023
9:21:09 a.m. EasternGEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Donald Trump has said repeatedly that he did nothing wrong. Do you believe that?
LINDSEY GRAHAM: Well, here’s what I believe. We live in an America where if you’re the Democratic candidate for President, Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, you can set up a private server in your basement to conduct government business.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator–
GRAHAM: And when an investigation is had about your activity—No, let me finish!
STEPHANOPOULOS: But you didn't answer the question.
GRAHAM: Well, I am trying to answer the question from a Republican point of view. That may not be acceptable on this show. Yes, I don't like what President Trump did in certain aspects. I don't like that Joe Biden had classified information on the garage. I don't like that Mike Pence carelessly took classified information. I don't like any of that. But what I don't like is a system in America where the Secretary of State, who's a Democratic candidate for president, has people take a hammer to social media devices and break them apart, apply bleach bit to a hard drive to erase emails, allowed classified information to get on a felon’s computer, Anthony Weiner. You haven’t even mentioned that!
Most Republicans believe we live in a country where Hillary Clinton did very similar things and nothing happened to her. President Trump will have his day in court. But Espionage charges are absolutely ridiculous. Whether you like Trump or not, he did not commit Espionage. He did not disseminate, leak, or provide information to a foreign power or a news organization that damaged this country. He's not a spy. He’s overcharged. Did he do things wrong? Yes, he may have. He will be tried about that. But Hillary Clinton wasn’t. Your old boss committed perjury in a civil lawsuit. Lost his law license, obstructed justice in a dozen ways and he didn't get prosecuted.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And he was impeached.
[crosstalk]
STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator--
GRAHAM: Well, he was impeached but he wasn’t prosecuted.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You’ve made your point.
[...]
