- Washington Free Beacon - https://freebeacon.com -

Graham Explodes at Senate Democrats for Handling of Kavanaugh Accusation: 'Unethical Sham'

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) exploded at Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee for their handling of Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation process on Thursday, calling the accusations against him "the most unethical sham since I've been in politics."

Graham noted Democrats were already lined up against his nomination within minutes of President Donald Trump announcing Kavanaugh as his pick, quoting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) saying he would opposite Kavanaugh with all his strength.

Graham grew furious while discussing Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.), who sat on the sexual assault accusation made by Christine Blasey Ford against Kavanaugh for weeks before it eventually leaked and became public.

"If you wanted an FBI investigation, you could have come to us!" Graham shouted. "What you want to do is destroy this guy's life, hold this seat open and hope you win in 2020! You said that, not me!"

Graham pointed out he voted for President Barack Obama's Supreme Court justice picks Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan and would never engage in such tactics against them.

"This is the most unethical sham since I've been in politics, and if you really wanted to know the truth, you sure as hell wouldn't have done what you've done to this guy," he said.

He ripped Democrats for their treatment of Ford, saying they had "no intention" of protecting her name.

"You're looking for a fair process?" he asked Kavanaugh. "You came to the wrong town at the wrong time, my friend."

Graham asked Kavanaugh if he'd "been through hell," to which Kavanaugh replied, "hell and then some."

"This is not a job interview. This is hell," Graham said. "This is going to destroy the ability of good people to come forward because of this crap!"

He told his Republican colleagues that if they voted no on Kavanaugh, they would be legitimizing the "most despicable thing" he'd seen in his time in politics.

"I hope you're on the Supreme Court," Graham said. "That's exactly where you should be."

Kavanaugh testified following Ford telling the committee on Thursday that he assaulted her at a high school party while drunk in the early 1980s. Kavanaugh angrily defended himself and blasted Democrats for their treatment of him in his opening statement.