This stunt could be about to blow up in Lindsey Graham’s face

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As Donald Trump’s presidency and reelection prospects continue to fall apart, Lindsey Graham’s behavior continues to get stranger – and more self contradictory. One day Graham is attacking Trump for attacking NASCAR, the next day Graham is urging Trump to illegally commute Roger Stone’s sentence. Now Graham is trying out an odd new stunt – and it could blow up in his face.

Robert Mueller has published an op-ed condemning Donald Trump’s commutation of Roger Stone’s sentence. In response, Lindsey Graham – who is now the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee – tweeted this: “Apparently Mr. Mueller is willing – and also capable – of defending the Mueller investigation through an oped in the Washington Post. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have previously requested Mr. Mueller appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about his investigation. That request will be granted.”

When Robert Mueller testified to the House Judiciary Committee a little under a year ago, he declined to answer many of the questions from both parties, and some observers came away with the impression that he’d lost a step. It’s not clear if Lindsey Graham is now trying to have Mueller testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee because he’s hoping to make a fool of Mueller, or if he’s hoping to use the hearing as an opportunity to hurl deranged conspiracy theories at Mueller, or what the strategy is.

But we do know that if Mueller does testify, it’ll give him an opportunity to spell out to the American public just how guilty Roger Stone is, and how corrupt Donald Trump’s commutation of Stone’s prison sentence is. Television is a more powerful medium than a newspaper op-ed for these kinds of things. Graham may think he’s helping Trump by beating up on Mueller, but in reality he’ll just be helping to paint Trump as guilty. Now comes the question of whether Mueller will agree to testify. Trump and Graham may be better off if he doesn’t.