Joe Biden says Lindsey Graham will regret backing Trump amid Ukraine controversy: 'I'm embarrassed for you'

Jeanine Santucci | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump's Ukraine phone call: U.S. and Ukraine relationship, explained U.S. and Ukraine relations go further back than the now infamous phone call between Trump and Zelensky. We explain their relationship.

Former Vice President Joe Biden said that Sen. Lindsey Graham "is about to go down" in reaction to the South Carolina Republican's request for documents from the State Department related to Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

Biden said that he was "embarrassed" for Graham in an interview with CNN on Friday, and said that President Donald Trump is "holding power" over Graham.

"They have him under their thumb right now. They know he knows, if he comes out against Trump, he's got a real tough road for re-election," Biden said.

Graham, the Senate Judiciary chairman, sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Thursday requesting documentation in the possession of the State Department about Biden's communications with Ukraine's former president, and about an alleged business meeting between a Hunter Biden associate and the former Secretary of State John Kerry.

The request comes as key Republican allies of Trump try to push back against the current impeachment inquiry into Trump, and pivot the focus onto their theory that Biden tried to use his office to help his son, who sat on the board of a Ukrainian company.

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Trump is accused of improperly pressuring the Ukrainian government to open investigations into the Bidens that would benefit him in the 2020 presidential election. Trump has maintained that his concern was over corruption in the country.

"I am disappointed, and quite frankly I'm angered by the fact that he knows me, he knows my son, he knows there's nothing to this," Biden said Friday.

"Lindsey is about to go down in a way that I think he's going to regret his whole life," Biden said. "I say, Lindsey, I'm just embarrassed by what you're doing, for you."

Biden tells @donlemon he's "embarrassed by" Graham's actions after senator asks Pompeo to turn over docs related to Hunter and Ukraine



"Lindsey is about to go down in a way that I think he’s going to regret his whole life," Biden says, adding Trump is "holding power" over him pic.twitter.com/sjNjQV7Ogp — Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 22, 2019

The Biden campaign also told Politico that Graham has "forfeited his conscience to escape a primary."

In response, Graham's office told Politico that Graham has requested the documents because the House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff "will not look into the issues surrounding Hunter Biden and Burisma."

Biden also discussed with CNN recent additions to the 2020 race, including former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and a potential run by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Biden said he welcomes the competition.

"Watch me. Watch me," he said.

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