Graham: No one will follow Amash’s lead on impeachment

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) predicted on Tuesday that Republicans won’t follow Rep. Justin Amash’s (R-Mich.) lead on impeaching President Trump, noting that Democrats who supported impeaching President Clinton weren’t “held as heroes.”

Asked how important he thought it was that the House Freedom Caucus member was saying special counsel Robert Mueller’s report described Trump as engaging in “impeachable conduct,” Graham fired back: “Zero.”

“I don’t think anybody is going to follow his lead. I don’t think there’s going to a stampede based on what Amash says,” Graham told reporters outside of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

Today @LindseyGrahamSC on Congressman Justin Amash calling for impeachment.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a trend setting move.

“When 5 Democrats voted with us to impeach Clinton they were not exactly hailed as heroes.” pic.twitter.com/v4swKIreyd

— Kevin Bishop (@KevinDBishop) May 21, 2019

“He made his decision. He’s going to have to live with it. But I don’t think it’s going to be a trendsetting move by any means,” Graham added of Amash.

{mosads}Amash has come under heavy criticism by Republicans for a tweet this weekend in which he said he had read the report on Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference and the Trump campaign and subsequently believed Trump had engaged in “impeachable conduct.”

Trump fired back at Amash over the weekend, calling him a “loser.”

“How do you Obstruct when there is no crime and, in fact, the crimes were committed by the other side?” Trump tweeted Sunday. “Justin is a loser who sadly plays right into our opponents hands!”

But Amash has doubled down in the wake of criticism from Trump and other GOP colleagues, outlining why he thinks Trump can be impeached for obstruction of justice. 

“People who say there were no underlying crimes and therefore the president could not have intended to illegally obstruct the investigation—and therefore cannot be impeached—are resting their argument on several falsehoods,” Amash tweeted.

Amash’s battle with Trump has sparked backlash from the conservative House Freedom Caucus, with the body voting Monday night to condemn Amash’s call for impeachment.