Graham Joins Trey Gowdy to Discuss Developments in the Middle East & Jack Smith's Probe

[00:00:00] Joining us is Senate Budget Chair and a [00:00:02] close ally of President Trump, Chairman [00:00:04] Lindsey Graham. Welcome, Mr. Chairman. [00:00:06] So, how did President Trump get us here [00:00:09] on the doorstep of regional peace barely [00:00:13] 2 years after Hamas killed over a [00:00:16] thousand Israelis? [00:00:19] >> Well, there are two things happened. The [00:00:21] Israeli Defense Forces have obliterated [00:00:24] Hamas as we know it. Militarily, they've [00:00:27] been hurt badly. They're up against the [00:00:29] wall in a box. So, you have to credit [00:00:31] the IDF for weakening Hamas. But the [00:00:35] lion share of the credit goes to [00:00:36] President Trump. I said during the [00:00:38] campaign of 2024, Trey, everybody wants [00:00:40] Trump policies. I like his policies, but [00:00:43] I don't like the way he talks. I said [00:00:45] back then, and I'll say it now, there [00:00:46] are no Trump policies without Donald [00:00:49] Trump. The reason we're about to have [00:00:51] the hostages released, I hope and pray, [00:00:54] is a couple things. Iran is afraid of [00:00:56] Trump. The Arabs and the the Israelis [00:00:59] trust Trump. That's why we're about to [00:01:01] have these hostages released. But I want [00:01:03] to say something very clear here. Jake [00:01:06] Sullivan was bragging about the state of [00:01:08] the Middle East and 8 days later we had [00:01:10] October the 7th. We're a long way from [00:01:13] long way away from achieving peace. I [00:01:15] hope we get the hostages out tomorrow, [00:01:17] but I'm waiting to see if Hamas really [00:01:19] does disarm. I'm not so sure they will. [00:01:22] Who takes over? We can't have Hamas [00:01:24] leading uh Gaza ever again. And you will [00:01:27] never have peace as long as Hezbollah is [00:01:29] alive as a terrorist organization in [00:01:31] Lebanon. So what what's the impediments [00:01:33] to peace down the road? Iran's proxies [00:01:36] like the Hoodis and the Hezbollah and [00:01:38] whether or not Hamas will actually live [00:01:41] up to his part of the agreement. But as [00:01:43] to President Trump, he is the man above [00:01:45] all leaders in the world. Literally no [00:01:47] one in the world could have done this [00:01:49] but President Donald J. Trump and to his [00:01:51] team, Woodco and Jared and the whole [00:01:53] team. Well done. [00:01:56] >> All right, chairman, you put your finger [00:01:57] on it. Peace is fragile. What What [00:02:00] should we be looking for in the days and [00:02:02] weeks to come to ensure that this [00:02:05] agreement actually holds? [00:02:09] >> This is a really good question. Put [00:02:11] Hamas disarmament on a timet. Don't give [00:02:14] them from forever to play around and [00:02:17] rearm as Israel pulls back. I'm afraid [00:02:20] they will rearm. So, put them on a time [00:02:22] to timetable. Give them a date certain [00:02:25] to disarm to make that decision and have [00:02:28] a system that would verify they did [00:02:30] disarm. When it comes to the future of [00:02:32] Gaza, they have to completely be uh [00:02:34] driven out of the picture, written out [00:02:36] of the picture, just like the Nazis were [00:02:38] were after World War II. And if you [00:02:40] don't deal with Hezbollah, Iran will [00:02:43] have Hezbollah do what Hamas did as we [00:02:46] get close to peace. talking about Saudi [00:02:48] Arabia recognizing Israel maybe this [00:02:51] time next year if Hezbollah is not dealt [00:02:53] with and disarmed themselves they will [00:02:56] they will rise up and undercut peace. So [00:02:59] you got to get a rid of all the proxies [00:03:01] of Iran Hezbollah and the hoodies. And [00:03:03] here's the good news. The people of [00:03:05] Lebanon have asked for the Hezbollah to [00:03:08] give up their weapons to disarm. So [00:03:10] that's major progress. So, there's a [00:03:13] possibility next year that all this can [00:03:16] fall into place, but it's got to start [00:03:18] with Hamas honoring the commitment they [00:03:21] made, which is to disarm and give up [00:03:23] control of uh Gaza. Time will tell. [00:03:27] >> All right, before I let you go, I got to [00:03:29] switch gears and ask you about something [00:03:31] else. Here's a snapshot of a recent [00:03:33] judiciary committee hearing, and then [00:03:35] I'll ask you about it on the other side. [00:03:38] >> You're the attorney general. This will [00:03:40] be your decision. Will you support? [00:03:42] >> You have to tell me what is my decision, [00:03:44] what is not my decision. I say, [00:03:47] you don't have to try to You think you [00:03:49] got a gotcha with Tom Hol [00:03:52] who's been out there fighting for our [00:03:54] country since Donald Trump took office. [00:03:56] >> I'm trying to ask a question. Regular [00:03:58] order, please. Will you support that [00:03:59] request? [00:04:00] >> Will you apologize to Donald Trump? [00:04:03] >> I guess the answer is you won't support [00:04:04] that [00:04:05] >> after you now know that Joe Biden tried [00:04:07] to cover up Hunter Biden's involvement [00:04:09] with Ukraine. [00:04:12] The Senate sounds like the House used to [00:04:14] sound. All right. Your phone records [00:04:16] were accessed by special counsel Jack [00:04:18] Smith. I I gotta believe the Senate is [00:04:21] going to bring Merritt Garland, Chris [00:04:23] Ray, and Jack Smith in cuz I want them [00:04:25] to testify on what crime exactly they [00:04:28] were investigating, what factual [00:04:30] predicate existed to access your toll [00:04:33] records. I mean, you're you talk to a [00:04:35] lot of important people on the phone. [00:04:37] Who is Jack Smith to analyze who you [00:04:39] talk to and for how long? [00:04:42] >> Well, this is a really important moment [00:04:44] in our constitutional democracy. Uh, in [00:04:48] September of 2023, 30 months after [00:04:51] January the 6th, apparently Jack Smith [00:04:54] through FBI agents went to the phone [00:04:57] company that I use and seven other [00:05:00] senators to monitor who we called, where [00:05:03] we were located, and how long we talked [00:05:05] to them. Now, in January of 2021, [00:05:09] I was the chairman of the Senate [00:05:11] Judiciary Committee trying to find out [00:05:14] whether to certify the election and what [00:05:16] to investigate, if anything. So, the [00:05:19] idea that the executive branch would try [00:05:22] to monitor my phone calls doing my job [00:05:26] as United States Senator Senator [00:05:28] obliterates separation of powers. And to [00:05:30] this idea about people shouldn't be [00:05:32] looking at Comey, that's crazy. Five [00:05:35] years ago, I went on television right [00:05:37] after he testified. I don't believe him [00:05:40] when he says he doesn't remember. The [00:05:42] intel community told him that they had [00:05:45] evidence that Hillary Clinton was trying [00:05:46] to cook this up to suggest that Trump [00:05:49] was an agent of Russia, that it was [00:05:51] coming from the Clinton campaign. And we [00:05:53] all know the Steel Dossier was a piece [00:05:55] of garbage. And he said, uh, Comey, if I [00:05:58] knew then what I know now, I'd have [00:06:00] never used it get a war against Carter [00:06:01] Page. I believe he did know then what he [00:06:04] did now. So, I'm doing my job. These [00:06:06] other senators were doing their job. I'm [00:06:08] gonna do everything under my power to [00:06:10] find out what happened. And if it takes [00:06:12] a lawsuit to prevent this in the future, [00:06:13] I will bring it. It's a chilling moment [00:06:16] when a rogue special counsel who's [00:06:20] politicized to the core was trying to [00:06:22] find out who I was calling and why I was [00:06:25] calling them as a sitting United States [00:06:28] senator doing my job. We're not going to [00:06:30] let this go. And as to Jack Smith, he [00:06:33] tried to release his brief accusing [00:06:35] Trump of a crime 10 days before the [00:06:38] election, violating every protocol of [00:06:41] the Department of Justice. His [00:06:43] investigation, I think, was political. [00:06:45] Within 3 days of Trump announcing, I'm [00:06:47] running for president in 2022 for the [00:06:50] 2024 cycle. And within three days, [00:06:53] charges were brought and within eight [00:06:55] months, he was charged with 91 felony [00:06:58] counts in four jurisdictions after he uh [00:07:02] said, "I'm running for president." This, [00:07:04] in my view, was an effort to destroy his [00:07:06] chances to get elected in 2024. And when [00:07:08] Jack Smith was looking at my phone [00:07:10] records and that of other senators, I [00:07:13] think he broke the law. And I think he [00:07:15] needs to be held accountable. And I [00:07:16] think those who brought this about need [00:07:19] to pay and pay big. [00:07:22] Well, I was going to say I'm going to [00:07:24] remind you to be mad when he comes [00:07:25] before your committee, but I think [00:07:27] you're mad enough that I don't have to [00:07:28] remind you. You're going to do it [00:07:30] anyway. Lindsey Graham from the great [00:07:32] state of South Carolina, thank you for [00:07:34] joining us. Pretty pissed. That's [00:07:35] outrageous, actually. [00:07:36] >> Thank you. Yeah, it's outrageous.