US Politics
Lindsey Graham dredges up the most explicitly lurid claim ever made against Trump in TV interview
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Read more
Lindsey Graham on Sunday dredged up one of the most explicitly lurid claims about Donald Trump — a gross-out allegation that the president would likely rather forget.
The South Carolina senator, a Trump loyalist, appeared on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, where he said the case against former FBI director James Comey was “a long time overdue.”
Comey, who led the FBI from 2013 until 2017 when Trump fired him, is accused of making false statements and obstructing a congressional proceeding in September 2020. He denies any wrongdoing. If convicted, he could face up to five years behind bars.
Graham accused Comey of overseeing “the most corrupt investigation in the history of the country” as the FBI probed Trump’s ties to Russia, which was given the code-name Crossfire Hurricane.
But part of the Republican’s answer prompted raised eyebrows.
open image in gallery
“For 10 years I’ve been talking to you about this,” Graham told Bartiromo. “Crossfire Hurricane was opened up in July 2016 along the premise that Donald Trump was an agent of Russia, that he had a golden-shower experience in Russia.”
The sordid allegation was part of the controversial and since-debunked “Steele Dossier,” compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele.
Steele, who previously ran the Secret Intelligence Service’s Russia desk, was the author of the unverified dossier which included allegations Trump had been “compromised” by the Russian security service. Trump repeatedly denied the claims.
People responded to the clip of Graham resurfacing the explicit claim on social media.
“Weird he brought that one back…” one person said.
open image in gallery
“Nobody… literally no one. Lindsey Graham: ‘remember the pee-tape y’all?’” joked another.
“Sundays aren’t complete until you hear Lindsey talk about golden showers,” another person wrote.
Following the criminal indictment last week, Comey released a defiant statement labeling Trump a “tyrant.”
“My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump, but we couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way,” Comey said. “We will not live on our knees and you shouldn’t either.”
“My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system and I am innocent, so let’s have a trial,” he added.