Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., alleged Sunday that there is a “bureaucratic coup” being uncovered following reporting last week that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein discussed trying to oust President Trump.
The New York Times reported Friday that Rosenstein considered rallying Cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution and offered to wear a wire to record his conversations with the president.
Rosenstein has denied he considered such actions and follow-up reports have indicated that he was being sarcastic when bringing up the secret recording.
Graham told “Fox News Sunday” that Trump should not fire the top Justice Department official unless he believes Rosenstein is lying.
“He said he did not do the things alleged, but there is a bureaucratic coup against President Trump being discovered here,” Graham said. “Before the election, the people in question tried to taint the election, tip it to [Hillary] Clinton’s favor. After the election, they’re trying to undermine the president.”
Graham cited former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, former FBI agent Peter Stzrok and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page’s actions as evidence of government officials trying to undermine Trump.
“They tried to destroy this president,” he said. “If Rosenstein is involved, he should be fired. If he is not involved, leave him alone … There’s a bureaucratic coup going on at the department of justice and the FBI and somebody needs to look at it.”
