‘What Happened to the People?’: Lindsey Graham Slammed for Declaring Supreme Court ‘Will Decide’ Who Wins the Election

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is facing new outrage from voters across the country for yet another comment he made that’s causing concern.

Fresh off the heels of him promising – repeatedly – to not take up the nomination of any Supreme Court justice in an election year, and then reneging on that promise, remarks the embattled South Carolina Senator made on Fox News are being seen as a threat to the American democracy.

“I promise you as a Republican, if the Supreme Court decides that Joe Biden wins, I will accept the result,” Graham said on Fox News. His remarks were also published by The New York Times.

“The court will decide, and if Republicans lose, we’ll accept the result.”

It’s that part, claiming that the election will be decided by the court and not by the voters, that is causing concern and anger.

Graham, according to a Fox News producer, repeated his claim that the Supreme Court – not the voters – will decide who wins the presidency:

Sen. Lindsey Graham at the Judiciary Committee Business Meeting: As a Republican, I am ready to accept any decision of the court as to the outcome of the election and there is no alternative than a peaceful transition of power.

— Jason Donner (@jason_donner) September 24, 2020

President Donald Trump has made clear he will contest the results of the November election if he loses.

It’s not even election day and Trump is clearly signaling he’ll be contesting the results https://t.co/J4pEHPL3cS

— David Lazarus (@Davidlaz) September 23, 2020

He also this week repeatedly refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power, effectively threatening a violent coup.

By doing so some of his supporters now believe the Supreme Court is supposed to decide the outcome of the presidential election. It is not.

Graham, who is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Trump are working to normalize the nation’s top court deciding who wins the presidency, a move extremely dangerous to democracy.

Here’s how some are reacting to Graham’s remarks.

this is insane, Graham just casually shredding any notion that ‘voters’ or ‘the people’ are the relevant body https://t.co/3SwhO42GgT pic.twitter.com/t1D4jEgFpo

— Taniel (@Taniel) September 25, 2020

If this doesn’t sound scary, something is wrong with you. https://t.co/3KcMPlHRHT

— nihar (@niharshah) September 25, 2020

The VOTERS will decide… not the court!! https://t.co/aBXgdJn5cT

— Cassandra Bonhoeffer (@kmf78) September 25, 2020

Notable “the Court will decide” language esp. given the plans for the Senate to decide on the Court. https://t.co/02OOuG1xx3

— Derek Wallbank (@dwallbank) September 24, 2020

@LindseyGrahamSC said “The court will decide, and if Republicans lose, we’ll accept the result.” What happened to THE PEOPLE decide? Like we do in the USA? What does he have on you that you’ve completely sold your soul? Oh right… ladybugs. #SendLindseyHome

— moonSine (@moonSinemusic) September 25, 2020

So the Court is deciding this election, not the voters. Just so we’re clear how positively fucked we are. https://t.co/UALX8DccEE

— Mindi (@manitobation) September 25, 2020

“The court will decide.” Yeah, fuck the voters. Y’all openly admitting this is going straight to the rigging. https://t.co/TVldy0Hr5i

— The Mack Who Stole the World (@jaidatruck) September 25, 2020

why would the court decide….unless you want the court to decide? https://t.co/eGPjGYRSZz

— Sam Stein (@samstein) September 24, 2020

“Now we may have litigation about who won the election, but the court will decide, and if Republicans lose, we’ll accept that result. *But we need another Republican on the court to make sure we win*”

That’s what he means

They’re breaking the system. They’re breaking democracy.

— (Social) Liberal Leigh 🕷️ 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 #FBPE 🔶 (@Liberal_Leigh) September 24, 2020

“The court will decide.” The court, whose ninth seat they are now planning to fill with unseemly haste, explicitly in order to help bring about a certain result. There, not the language of “continuation,” is the real threat.

— Tang (@TuanaTang) September 25, 2020

Sure, Jake. And just exactly what message are they sending? I personally was particularly taken aback by Lindsey Graham’s message that the court will decide the result of the election. So I’m not confident of just what message is being sent.

— Alice Millard (@Zemsgram) September 24, 2020

The COURT will decide? The VOTERS will decide.

— Steve Zorowitz #VOTE (@szorowitz) September 24, 2020

The court will decide? And they are actually saying this out loud as the justification for rushing a nomination? https://t.co/3CVimf4rTs

— Jennifer Hayden (@Scout_Finch) September 24, 2020

So even @LindseyGrahamSC KNOWS when he needs to ram a SCOTUS judge into the bench… He JUST admitted that he’ll “accept the results of the election once the court decides.” OF COURSE he KNOWS how the court will decide, because they’re stacking it!

— Kimberly Beller (@KimberlyBeller2) September 24, 2020

Image: Official White House Photo by Julianna Luz via Flickr