The next is a transcript of an interview with GOP Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina that aired Sunday, January 30, 2022, on "Face the Nation."
MARGARET BRENNAN: South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham joins us from Clemson, South Carolina, this morning. Good morning to you, Senator.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: As you recognize, developing on this program, Congressman Jim Clyburn, he has stated repeatedly in interviews that South Carolina Federal District Choose Michelle Childs, not solely as somebody he likes, however that each South Carolina Republican senators will help her. So he is speaking about you. Did you inform him you are a sure vote on Childs?
SEN. GRAHAM: Here is what I will inform him and the nation, I- I can not consider a greater particular person for President Biden to think about for the Supreme Court docket than Michelle Childs. She has vast help in our state. She's thought of to be a good minded, extremely gifted jurist. She's one of the vital first rate individuals I've ever met. It will be good for the courtroom to have anyone who's not at Harvard or Yale. She's a graduate of the College of South Carolina, a public training background. She's been a employees comp choose. She's extremely certified. She's a great character. And we'll see how she does if she's nominated. However I can't say something dangerous about Michelle Childs. She is an superior particular person.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That- that seems like fairly near sure. You are a sure vote?
SEN. GRAHAM: Nicely, what I do not know if she's going to be nominated–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
SEN. GRAHAM: if she's nominated, she won't be handled like Choose Kavanaugh, I promise you, by Republicans. Let's have a look at how she does on the listening to. However I feel I've made it fairly clear that I am a giant admirer of–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure, you probably did–
SEN. GRAHAM: Choose Charles. And I might prefer to see the courtroom have- a have much more steadiness, some frequent sense on it. All people would not should be from Harvard, Yale–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
SEN. GRAHAM: It is okay to go to a public college and get your regulation diploma.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, you've got been glowing in your descriptions, however your colleague, Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, stated choosing a feminine black Supreme Court docket justice is affirmative racial discrimination. He questioned her- any potential impartiality from any of the candidates named. Nikki Haley of South Carolina additionally tweeted the president mustn't have a race or gender litmus check. President Reagan promised to appoint a girl, Sandra Day O'Connor. So why is that this completely different?
SEN. GRAHAM: Nicely, it isn't completely different to me. Put me within the camp of constructing certain the courtroom and different establishments seem like America. You realize, we make an actual effort as Republicans to recruit girls and other people of shade to make the occasion look extra like America. Affirmative motion is choosing anyone not as effectively certified for previous wrongs. Michelle qual- Childs is extremely certified. There isn't any affirmative motion element in the event you decide her. She is very certified. And President Reagan stated working for workplace that he needed to place the primary feminine on the courtroom. Whether or not you prefer it or not, Joe Biden stated, I will decide an African-American lady to serve on the Supreme Court docket. I consider there are many certified African-American girls, conservative and liberal, that would go onto the courtroom. So I do not concede- I do not see Michelle Childs as an act of affirmative motion. I do see placing a black lady on the courtroom, making the courtroom extra like America. Within the historical past of our nation, we have solely had 5 girls serve and two African-American males, so let's make the courtroom extra like America. However qualifications should be the- the- the largest consideration. And as to Michelle Childs, I feel she's certified–
MARGARET BRENNAN: All proper.
SEN. GRAHAM: by each measure.
MARGARET BRENNAN: All proper, Senator, I wish to transfer on to Ukraine. Senator Menendez, Democrat, on one other program this morning, stated they're nearing bipartisan settlement on a bundle of sanctions, a few of which might put sanctions on Russia now, some later. I do know you are a part of the talks. I do know you need sanctions now. So what precisely are you pushing for? What must be hit?
SEN. GRAHAM: Extra. Extra towards Russia, extra for Ukraine. There's bipartisan help to sanction Russia now. They're dismembering the Ukraine by the invasion- the specter of invasion. It is 2022, for God's sake. You possibly can't get your manner by threatening to invade a rustic. So, punish Putin now extra, weapons to the Ukraine now to allow them to defend themselves, extra financial assist to the Ukrainian economic system so that they can- they will cope with the specter of invasion and extra troops to NATO. As Putin tries to dismantle NATO and divide NATO, I help President Biden's choice to ship extra troops in to strengthen NATO. He is attempting to destroy a neighboring democracy. He hates democracy- Putin. And I'll simply say this to President Putin. Should you invade the Ukraine, you'll destroy the power of future presidents to deal with you and Russia as regular. You will lengthy for the nice outdated days of the Chilly Conflict as a result of each president sooner or later will pound you and each Congress sooner or later will pound you in the event you dismantle this democracy. So watch out what you would like for, my good friend.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, robust phrases there. We all know President Biden is already sanctions after an invasion. He is sovereign debt gross sales, hitting oligarchs near Vladimir Putin, the banks that deal with essential industries and- on prime of export import restrictions. Is that this sufficient or are you saying you are pushing President Biden additional?
SEN. GRAHAM: The bipartisan working group will submit sanctions now. Look what Putin has accomplished. He is dismantled–
MARGARET BRENNAN: On what particularly, although?
SEN. GRAHAM: he is hurting the- Oh, an array of pre-invasion sanctions, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which is a money cow for Putin, that'll in all probability be after the invasion, knocking them out of economic programs that they might want to conduct enterprise usually, the Swift program. All of that is on the desk, however the–
MARGARET BRENNAN: European allies do not help that.
SEN. GRAHAM: It's 20. Nicely, the Congress has a distinct view right here. I need sanctions on Putin's conduct now. What's Putin doing? He is threatening- he is warning to get his manner by threatening it to invade a rustic. That is 2022, for God's sake. That is not the best way to resolve disputes. So, I feel there will be bipartisan help for sanctions now. There'd be a bipartisan help for more- extra deadly assist now to the Ukraine, extra financial help for the federal government now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
SEN. GRAHAM: And I feel there's bipartisan help to strengthen NATO.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK, effectively, in your model of a invoice, what would set off invasion? Proper? As a result of there's an array of choices Vladimir Putin's . Does a cyberattack set off sanctions?
SEN. GRAHAM: A cyber assault towards the US could be an act of battle, and we will reply in variety. I'm uninterested in Putin, China and North Korea attacking us. In the event that they blew up a pipeline that will be an act of battle. Nicely, in the event you shut it down by way of a cyber assault, it is the identical final result.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However a cyberattack in Ukraine?
SEN. GRAHAM: My Russian friends- Yeah. Nicely, any- any assault on the sovereignty of a nation, any assault on their essential infrastructure, any assault on their skill to do enterprise. However he must be sanctioned now. What's he accomplished? He is utilizing the specter of pressure of arms to get his manner. That needs to be outlawed in 2022. Hear, I wish to help President Biden to the- to the total extent attainable, however the Congress is able to sanction Putin now. However there will likely be extra sanctions come if he invades. And I'll finish with this level: Should you invade the Ukraine, if Russia invades the Ukraine, no future president, no future Congress–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
SEN. GRAHAM: provides you with a cross. It would change the connection eternally.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator, greater than 730 individuals have been charged by the Justice Division for his or her position within the assault on the Capitol on January Sixth to cease–
SEN. GRAHAM: Proper.
MARGARET BRENNAN: the certification of our election. Final evening, President Trump, at a rally, stated this.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: If I run and if I win, we'll deal with these individuals from January Sixth pretty. And if it requires pardons, we'll give them pardons as a result of they're being handled so unfairly.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Pardons? Do you agree?
SEN. GRAHAM: No, I do not wish to ship any sign that it was OK to defile the Capitol. There are different teams with causes which will wish to go all the way down to the violent path that these individuals get pardoned.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However is not that a harmful factor to say?
SEN. GRAHAM: Kamala Harris- Yeah. Nicely, I feel it is inappropriate. I- I do not wish to reinforce that defiling the Capitol was OK. I do not wish to do something that will make this extra doubtless sooner or later. And simply let me end my thought right here. When Kamala Harris and her associates and the those who work for her, her staffers, raised cash to bail out the rioters who hit cops within the head and burned down shops. I did not like that both. So I do not wish to do something from elevating bail to pardoning individuals who take the regulation into their very own fingers as a result of it'll make extra violence extra doubtless. I wish to deter individuals who did what–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
SEN. GRAHAM: on January the Sixth. And people who did it, I hope they go to jail and get the e-book thrown at them as a result of they deserve it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That was clear, Senator, earlier than I allow you to go, I wish to ask you. The District Lawyer in Georgia has- in Fulton County has gotten clearance to arrange a grand jury to analyze President Trump. She says she desires to speak to you about that cellphone name you made to Georgia's secretary of state ten days after the election, are you going to cooperate?
SEN. GRAHAM: Yeah give me a name. Yeah, I talked- I requested about how the system labored when it got here to mail in voting- balloting. The January 6 committee was not the 911 committee. After 911, we got here collectively, we shaped a bipartisan committee after the following election--
MARGARET BRENNAN: I used to be speaking about Georgia although.
SEN. GRAHAM: So what is going on on Georgia and the January Sixth- Yeah. I do know, however there's an effort right here to make use of the regulation, I feel inappropriately. So I do not know what they are going to do in Fulton County. I do not know what the Jan. 6 committee goes to do. I anticipate those that defile the Capitol to be prosecuted. However there is a political motion utilizing the regulation to attempt to knock Trump out of working. And I, significantly, do not prefer it or admire it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK, Senator, thanks for becoming a member of us as we speak. We'll be proper again with Congressman James Clyburn.