Sen. Lindsey Graham: Impeachment ‘dead on arrival’ in the Senate

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham is apparently trying to warn House Democrats that, while the House of Representatives may impeach President Trump, the Senate will not remove him from office.

"Impeachment based on the transcripts is dead on arrival in the Senate,” Graham said. “Impeachment based on the Mueller report is DOA. I don't know where the Democrats are taking this. They are doing it in secret. They are doing it in a fashion that doesn't withstand scrutiny."

Graham is also on the record saying he plans to ask other Senate Republicans to sign a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying Senate Republicans do not believe the transcript of the phone call between President Trump and the Ukranian President is an impeachable offense.

"They're about to destroy the nation for no good reason," Graham said on Fox News. "I want Nancy Pelosi to know that Republican senators are not going to impeach this president based on this transcript, so she can stop now before she destroys the country."

The White House, meantime, said it won't cooperate with the impeachment inquiry until House Democrats take an actual vote on the House floor authorizing it. Democrats said no vote is necessary to move forward with the impeachment inquiry.

If the president is impeached in the House, a trial would follow in the Senate, where 67 senators would need to vote in the affirmative to remove the president.

Currently, there are only 47 Democrats in that chamber.

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