Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) didn't always have a problem with impeachment. Especially if it involved a president who "failed to comply with subpoenas of Congress."
Back in 1998, Graham, then a congressmember, threw his usual vigor into a House floor speech about how former President Richard Nixon refused to hand over his secret White House recordings. And, as neoconservative commentator Bill Kristol was probably pointing out by tweeting a clip of it on Wednesday, the speech has some pretty distinct parallels to today.
Graham, now a staunch ally of President Trump, started his speech by citing an article of impeachment against Nixon that said the president "failed to comply with subpoenas of Congress." It was Nixon's "job to comply" with the things Congress "need[ed]," Graham said, but Nixon instead "took ... the impeachment process away from Congress" and "became the judge and jury."
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"The day Richard Nixon failed to answer that subpoena is the day that he was subject to impeachment," Graham finished. Strangely enough, Trump himself failed to answer a subpoena from Congress on Wednesday as well, citing his executive privilege just like Nixon did. Watch Graham's concise breakdown below. Kathryn Krawczyk
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