Thread: Lindsey Graham on Kushner allegations: 'I don't trust this story as far as I can thro

Lindsey Graham on Kushner allegations: 'I don't trust this story as far as I can throw it'

by Anna Giaritelli
May 28, 2017, 9:40 AM

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., doubts the factuality of a Washington Post report published Friday that stated White House senior adviser Jared Kushner had tried to set up a secure, secret line of communication between President Trump's campaign and the Russian government.

"You've got the ambassador to Russia reporting back to Moscow on an open channel, 'Hey, Jared Kushner is going to move into the embassy.' I don't trust this story as far as I can throw it," Graham told CNN "State of the Union" guest host Dana Bash.

"It makes no sense that the Russian ambassador would report back to Moscow on a channel that he most likely knows we're monitoring. The whole story line is suspicious," added Graham.

The South Carolina Republican has been critical of both Trump's behavior and policies over the past four months, but said he is "not going to jump to the conclusion that Mr. McMullin jumped to."

Graham was referring to former independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin tweeted over the weekend the report points to "treasonous activity, whether borne of malice or naivete, or both."

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/li...rticle/2624360

‘I don’t know what to believe’: Combative Lindsey Graham defends Kushner over Russia revelations


Tom Boggioni
28 May 2017 at 09:54 ET

A feisty Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) pushed back on Sunday morning at a Washington Post report that President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, attempted to set up a back-channel communication line to the Kremlin before the president took office.

Speaking with CNN’s Dana Bash, Graham was asked about the report and the animated GOP senator cast doubt on the whole affair, claiming the U.S. is “chasing our tails” when it comes to Russian involvement in the Trump administration and the 2016 election.

“We’re chasing our tails as a nation when it comes to the Russians,” Graham asserted. “I don’t know who leaked this conversation. You’ve got the ambassador to Russia reporting back to Moscow on an open channel, ‘Hey, Jared Kushner is going to move into the embassy!’ I don’t trust this story as far as i can throw it.”

Pressed for his reasons, Graham said he couldn’t make sense of it.

“It makes no sense that the Russian ambassador would report back to Moscow on a channel that he most likely knows we’re monitoring,” he remarked. “The whole story line is suspicious. I’ve never been more concerned and suspicious about all things Russia than I am right now.”

“Look at this way. Apparently, the FBI director intervened in the elections in July 2016 based on a fake email generated by the Russians. If that was fake, why don’t you think this is?” he asked. “I’m not so sure the email was fake, but I can tell you this, he never briefed the Congress, the Judiciary Committee. What he told the Intelligence Committee about this email he never suggested it was fake. So, if he intervened in the election based on fake information generated by the Russians, that was an incredibly incompetent thing to do, so I don’t know who to believe anymore.”

https://www.rawstory.com/2017/05/i-d...a-revelations/

Lindsey Graham: Kushner Report Could Be Based On Disinformation; Russia Has Whole Nation "Chasing Their Tails"

Posted By Tim Hains
On Date May 28, 2017

"I don't trust this story as far as I can throw it," Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that "the entire storyline" that Jared Kushner proposed setting up a secret communications channel between the Trump transition team and the Kremlin is suspicious and could be based on Russian disinformation.

BASH: Senator, let's turn to the bombshell report from "The Washington Post" that Jared Kushner and the Russian ambassador discussed the possibility of setting up secret communications, a channel, with Moscow.

And Evan McMullin, the former Republican staffer who had a brief run for president, he tweeted that the report is -- quote -- "treasonous activity, whether born of malice, naivete or both."

Do you see it that way?

GRAHAM: Well, number one, we're chasing our tails as a nation when it comes to the Russians.

I don't know who leaked this supposed conversation. But just think about it this way. You have got to ambassador to Russia reporting back to Moscow on an open channel, hey, Jared Kushner is going to move into the embassy.

I don't trust this story as far as I can throw it.

BASH: In what way? Why don't you trust it?

GRAHAM: I think it makes no sense that the Russian ambassador would report back to Moscow on a channel that he most likely knows we're monitoring.

The whole storyline is suspicious. I have never been more concerned and suspicious about all things Russia than I am right now, so I'm not going to jump to the conclusion that Mr. McMullin jumped to.

BASH: So, you think that it is possible that what the ambassador, Kislyak, said to Moscow was on purpose, because he knew that he was being monitored, and -- and not accurate?

GRAHAM: That's a possibility.

Well, look at this way. Apparently, the FBI director intervened in the elections in July 2016 based on a fake e-mail generated by the Russians from the Democrats to the Department of Justice trying to shut down the e-mail investigation of Clinton.

If that was fake, why don't you think this is fake? I'm not so sure the e-mail that Comey relied upon was fake. But I can tell you this. He never briefed the Congress, the Judiciary Committee about any fake e-mail.

What he told the Intelligence Committee about this e-mail, he never suggested it was fake. So, if he intervened in the election -- election based on fake information generated by the Russians, that was an incredibly incompetent thing to do. So I don't really know who to believe anymore.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/vid...e_anymore.html

The "leakers" are the criminals breaking the law. They are the only ones who have committed a crime, a violation of any law on the books. So, that should tell you straight up who to believe and what to believe. The "leakers" are also compromising our foreign policy and jeopardizing our national security. The "leakers" are also ruining the lives of innocent people and trying to tear down this Presidency. Why would anyone with 2 live brain cells still connected believe anything these traitors say? They're leaking fake news as classified information. They are degrading the Russians, this Presidency, our rule of law, our classified INTEL programs, and they're doing this to try to over-turn an election because their own fellow criminal lost that election.

This isn't rocket science. This is as plain as the nose on your faces and any member of Congress who spends one dime of taxpayer money or one minute more of their valuable time pursuing the "Russia Inquiry" instead of a executing a full onslaught of all resources we have to find and punish these "leakers" shouldn't be in the US Congress to begin with.

Our "INTEL" community, not the Russians, are playing you for the fools you so often demonstrate yourselves to be.

People are starting to see that just because a leak from an anonymous source does not make it true, no matter how many news channels put it out there. The reports on these leaks are making the media look really foolish and many are finally starting to choose not to believe the press anymore for reporting stories with no substance.