Graham: Abuse of power ‘poorly defined’ in articles of impeachment

Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) said on Sunday that the definition of “abuse of power” used in the House’s impeachment articles against President Trump would have ramifications for future presidents as well.

“Abuse of power is so poorly defined here I don’t know presidents in the future can confirm their conduct,” Graham, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on “Fox News Sunday.”

Graham also assailed the House’s second article of impeachment, obstruction of Congress, saying  Trump merely “tried to exercise executive privilege” after the House called for testimony from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security Adviser John Bolton.

“It’s the first impeachment in modern history without outside counsel… they had to do it in such a hurry he could not exercise executive privilege,” he added.

“Any president has the right to defend the office,” Graham added, saying that even as House Democrats have argued the president is not above the law, “they tried to put Trump below the law.”

House Democrats on Saturday unveiled the outline of their legal case heading into the Senate impeachment trial, which begins on Tuesday. They say the only lingering question in the case is whether the Senate will be a fair arbiter of justice.

Trump’s legal team, however, declared the impeachment articles “constitutionally invalid” and accused House Democrats of a “brazen and unlawful attempt” to overturn the results of the 2016 presidential election.