Democrats tore into Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) after he suggested President Donald Trump’s eldest son should refuse to answer questions from the Senate Intelligence Committee, which has subpoenaed him to testify about his communications with Russian officials. Graham, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a frequent Trump cheerleader, told reporters Monday that Donald Trump Jr.’s attorney would “have to be an idiot” to let him testify. “You just show up and plead the Fifth and it’s over with,” Graham said, referring to the constitutional amendment that grants Americans the right to refuse self-incrimination. A day earlier, Graham told Fox News that Trump Jr. should consider ignoring the subpoena altogether. “If I were Donald Trump Jr.’s lawyer, I would tell him, ‘You don’t need to go back into this environment anymore,’” Graham said. “I would call it a day.”

Graham tells Don Jr. to ignore Senate Intel subpoena pic.twitter.com/0EakosMwt6 — TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) May 13, 2019

Graham’s remarks drew backlash from some Democratic lawmakers and prompted calls for his resignation from numerous Twitter users. The hashtag #LindseyGrahamResign was trending Tuesday on the social media platform. “This is not the Lindsey I know,” Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) told CNN on Monday. “I can’t explain what’s going on right now in his thought process.” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) on Monday warned Trump Jr. not to take Graham’s “free” advice. “Ignoring subpoenas is not a prudent course of action,” he told CNN. The Senate could hold Trump Jr. in contempt of Congress if he were to ignore a subpoena, though such a scenario seems unlikely given Republicans’ majority in the chamber. Graham said Tuesday that he doesn’t believe Trump Jr. or anyone else is “above the law,” but that he’s “afraid that we’re beginning to prosecute each other for political reasons.” “I don’t want any part of that,” he told reporters. Some Twitter users pointed out that Graham’s comments marked a dramatic departure from what he has previously said about congressional subpoenas. He declared on the House floor in 1998 that a president’s failure to comply with a subpoena from Congress is unconstitutional and grounds for impeachment.

"Here's Graham explicitly declaring that a president's failure to comply with a subpoena from Congress was an assault on the Constitution... Trump and his administration are currently stonewalling congressional subpoenas." #LindseyGrahamResignhttps://t.co/njftoZcGwF — Swing Left (@swingleft) May 14, 2019

Wherein the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee advises the president’s son to ignore a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee https://t.co/2Nf0faPAI3 — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 13, 2019

#LindseyGrahamResign What a disgrace and an embarrassment. The idea that any American can ignore a lawfully executed subpoena is a precedent that should never be allowed to happen. We’re in extremely dangerous territory. #ImpeachTrumpNow — LauraBDesign (@LauraBDesign1) May 14, 2019

By telling Donald Trump Jr. to ignore a subpoena, the senator is violating his oath of office, defying our Constitution and further aligning with a man hellbent on authoritarian rule. #LindseyGrahamResign — Michelangelo Signorile (@MSignorile) May 14, 2019

Lindsey Graham is the worst of America right now. Partisan, corrupt, and willing to sacrifice the integrity of our democracy for his personal ambition and celebrity.



He's an embarrassment not just to the people of South Carolina but to all Americans. #LindseyGrahamResignhttps://t.co/3OLEkYX0Dd — Kaz Weida (@kazweida) May 14, 2019