Lindsey Graham jumps to Trump’s defence over hush money trial: ‘I think the whole thing is a crock’

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham leapt to Donald Trump’s defence on Sunday as he dismissed the former president’s New York hush money trial, saying “I think the whole thing is a crock”.

The longtime Trump ally appeared on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday where he railed against the trial and branded the former president’s long list of legal woes as examples of “selective prosecution” – but declined to say that he should have full immunity from criminal prosecution.

Host Dana Bash confronted Mr Graham about the testimony heard in court last week from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker. Mr Pecker testified about the so-called “catch and kill” scheme struck between himself, Mr Trump, and Mr Trump’s then-attorney Michael Cohen to suppress negative stories ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

“You know, apparently a lot of people do this. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tiger Woods, I think the whole thing is a crock,” Mr Graham said, pointing to the other famous names dragged into Mr Pecker’s testimony.

“The statute of limitations has long shut out the misdemeanour cases. So, this liberal prosecutor in Manhattan came up with a federal campaign violation that the Southern District of New York looked at, the Federal Elections Commission looked at, and Jack Smith looked at, and decided not to prosecute.”

Mr Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records over a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election to remain quiet about an alleged 2006 affair. Mr Trump has denied the affair took place and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The former president has frequently argued that all of the criminal charges against him are politically motivated and that they are