Lindsey Graham says Donald Trump made 'a mistake' by pardoning Jan. 6 defendants who hurt police

WASHINGTON ? Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Sunday he thinks it was a “mistake” for President Donald Trump to pardon those who committed violence against law enforcement officials during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

Trump issued nearly 1,600 pardons for Jan. 6 defendants on Monday after he was sworn into office. Trump's blanket pardon drew condemnation from police who battled the mob during the Capitol attack, their families and lawmakers, including some of the president's fellow Republicans.

Graham argued that while Trump has the legal authority to issue pardons, he feared the move could inspire "more violence" in the country.

“Pardoning the people who went into the Capitol and beat up a police officer violently I think was a mistake, because it seems to suggest that’s an OK thing to do,” Graham told "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker.

It's not the first time Graham has publicly split with Trump, though he remains one of the president's most vocal supporters.

The South Carolina lawmaker didn't only criticize members of his own party on Sunday. He also knocked former President Joe Biden for pardoning his family members, including his brother James, in his final hours of office. The former president said he feared politically motivated investigations into his relatives.

“You know, Biden pardoned half his family going out the door. I think most Americans, if this continues, to see this as an abuse of the pardon power… But as to pardoning violent people who beat up cops, I think that’s a mistake,” Graham said.

Graham questions Trump’s mass deportation plan, other moves

Graham on Sunday also questioned whether Trump would be able to carry out his plan to launch a mass deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants estimated to be living in the U.S.

“I’m not so sure they’re going to deport 11 million people,” Graham said, adding that he's not sure Congress has approved enough resources to launch such an effort.  Mass deportations were the centerpiece of Trump's reelection bid.

“We talk about doing this, but we don’t have the resources – we haven't given the Trump team the resources." Graham said. Tom Homan, Trump's "border czar" told ABC News in an interview that aired Sunday that the success of a massive deportation plan is “going to be based on what Congress gives us.”

Trump previously dismissed concerns about the price tag of a mass deportation effort to NBC News in a November interview.

A mass deportation of 1 million people a year could cost $88 billion annually, according to the nonpartisan American Immigration Council. It would require an unprecedented ramp-up of law enforcement staffing, detention capacity, immigration courtrooms and flight accessibility.

Welker also pressed Graham on Trump’s decision to remove over a dozen inspectors general at various agencies, despite federal law requiring 30 days' notice to Congress to carry out such an action.

The inspectors general are independent watchdogs within agencies who investigate and disclose waste, fraud and abuse.

Asked whether Trump violated the law, Graham told Welker "technically,” but he deferred to the president's broad powers.

“But he has the authority to do it. So, I'm not, you know, losing a whole lot of sleep that he wants to change the personnel out. I just want to make sure that he gets off to a good start. I think he has,” Graham said.

Contributing: Reuters, Bart Jansen and Riley Beggin, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Graham says Trump made 'mistake' pardoning some Jan. 6 defendants