{"id":2700,"date":"2018-11-18T12:17:32","date_gmt":"2018-11-18T17:17:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/press.nbcnews.com\/?p=2700"},"modified":"2018-11-18T12:17:32","modified_gmt":"2018-11-18T17:17:32","slug":"mtp-exclusive-sen-graham-impossible-to-believe-saudi-crown-prince-was-unaware-of-khashoggi-killing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nbcuniversalnewsgroup.com\/nbcnews\/2018\/11\/18\/mtp-exclusive-sen-graham-impossible-to-believe-saudi-crown-prince-was-unaware-of-khashoggi-killing\/","title":{"rendered":"MTP EXCLUSIVE: SEN. GRAHAM: ‘IMPOSSIBLE TO BELIEVE’ SAUDI CROWN PRINCE WAS UNAWARE OF KHASHOGGI KILLING"},"content":{"rendered":"

ALSO: Graham on shutting down Mueller probe: <\/em><\/strong>\u201cIt would be a disaster for the Republican Party\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

PLUS: Sen. Brown on possible run for President: <\/em><\/strong>\u201cI have no real timetable\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

NOVEMBER 18, 2018<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 In an exclusive interview on\u00a0Meet the Press<\/em>,\u00a0Sen. Lindsey Graham<\/strong> (R-S.C.)\u00a0<\/strong>told moderator Chuck Todd it is \u201cimpossible to believe\u201d the Saudi Crown Prince was unaware of Khashoggi\u2019s killing.<\/p>\n

The Republican senator from South Carolina called the Crown Price \u201cirrational\u201d and \u201cunhinged,\u201d but stopped short of saying he should be sanctioned for now. \u201cHe\u2019s done a lot of damage to the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and I have no intention of working with him ever again.<\/p>\n

When discussing Special Counsel Robert Mueller\u2019s probe, Graham said it would be a \u201cdisaster for the Republican Party\u201d to shut it down. \u201cLet’s see what he finds. I can understand why the president doesn’t like the investigation. He feels wronged by it. I remember the Clinton-Ken Starr episode pretty well. This is sort of standard practice. But I think most Republicans on Capitol Hill, and Democrats, believe that Mr. Mueller should be allowed to do his job. And I have no indication he’s going to be interfered with at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

On President Trump\u2019s criminal justice reform bill, Graham urged Sen. Mitch McConnell to bring the bill to the floor, \u201cIt’ll get 80 votes.\u00a0Mr. President, pick up the phone and push the Republican leadership. The Republicans are the problem here, not the Democrats.\u201d Watch the\u00a0<\/strong>full interview<\/a><\/u><\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)<\/strong> joined the program where he stood by his remarks last week that the Georgia governor\u2019s race was \u201cstolen\u201d saying Governor-elect Brian Kemp \u201cdid everything he could to put his thumb on the scale and won that election, quote unquote, \u2018won\u2019 that election by only about a point.\u201d He continued, \u201cBecause a former secretary of state, like me, said that about this election, which\u00a0clearly is an effort to suppress the vote, not of people that look like you and me, Chuck.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked about a potential run for President in 2020, Brown responded by saying \u201cI have no real timetable. It\u2019s really, as I said, it’s personal. It’s sitting down with Connie and my family and really figuring things through.\u201d Watch the\u00a0full interview.<\/a><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

White House Correspondent for PBS NewsHour and NBC News Contributor Yamiche Alcindor<\/strong>, CNBC Editor-at-Large John Harwood<\/strong>, NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Hallie Jackson, <\/strong>and National Review Editor Rich Lowry<\/strong> joined the broadcast\u2019s roundtable for insight and analysis on the week in politics.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Watch the\u00a0<\/strong>full panel<\/a><\/u><\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Read the\u00a0full\u00a0transcript\u00a0<\/a><\/u>of\u00a0Meet the Press<\/em>\u00a0this morning, and follow the show\u00a0on Twitter\u00a0<\/a><\/u>and\u00a0on Facebook\u00a0<\/a><\/u>for the latest.<\/p>\n

PLEASE CREDIT: NBC NEWS\u2019\u00a0MEET THE PRESS WITH CHUCK TODD<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n