Lindsey Graham Rebuked by Former RNC Chair: 'Mind-Numbingly Stupid'

Michael Steele, former chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and MSNBC host, called Senator Lindsey Graham's comment that President Joe Biden is a felon "mind-numbingly stupid" on Saturday.

On MSNBC's The Weekend, which Steele is a co-host of, he said, "You do have these narratives that have been perpetuated by the [Donald] Trump orbit for some time, Lindsey Graham is taking the new level up on that."

Steele then played a segment of Graham, a South Carolina Republican and Donald Trump ally, on Fox News on Tuesday in which he says to host Jesse Watters, "The next time you hear the word felon in this election—I think the felon in this election is Joe Biden. What he's doing to the country is criminal." The senator's comments came after he criticized Biden's immigration policy.

Graham then posted his Fox News appearance to his X, formerly Twitter, account on Wednesday and wrote, "In my view, the only felon in this election is Joe Biden. His border policies are criminal."

Immigration policy and border security are hot-button issues in this year's election. Trump campaigns on stricter enforcement measures and during his presidency made efforts to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. However, in change of policy, this week he floated the idea of giving green cards to foreign college graduates.

Over the past month, Biden has both imposed restrictions on immigrants seeking asylum and also potentially created a pathway to citizenship for nearly half a million immigrants. In early June, Biden announced a new executive action to "bar migrants who cross our southern border unlawfully from receiving asylum." He also announced a different initiative that will soon allow certain citizens' spouses without legal status to apply for permanent residency without having to first depart the country.

After the video clip played, Steele, who served as the RNC chair from 2009 to 2011 said, "It is just mind-numbingly stupid what he [Graham] just said. What you're saying [is] I have a difference with his policies that's somehow criminal and therefore he's a felon, Donald Trump was convicted by 12 of his peers in a New York courtroom 34 times."

Newsweek has reached out to Graham's press office and Steele's assistant for comment via email on Saturday.

Biden, meanwhile, is not a convicted felon. At the end of May, Trump was found guilty by a Manhattan jury and was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels by Trump's then-lawyer Michael Cohen before the 2016 presidential election. Daniels alleged she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, which he denies. Trump has maintained his innocence and says the case is politically motivated. His legal team says it will fight the case, which will include an appeal, if necessary.

The verdict makes Trump the first former president convicted of felony crimes.

The former president now faces possible jail time, which will be determined by presiding Judge Juan Merchan at his July 11 sentencing date. Days later, Trump is expected to accept the party's nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Newsweek has also reached out to Biden and Trump's campaign for comment via email.

Biden and Trump are facing off in another presidential election this November, with the first presidential debate slated for June 27.