Clyburn: Trump Trying a 'Coup', Graham 'Lost Grip on Reality'

House Majority Whip James Clyburn Tuesday accused President Donald Trump of trying to commit a coup through his protestations over the November election and said Sen. Lindsey Graham has "lost grip on reality" with his comments about the ongoing voting controversy in Georgia. 

"You may not call it a coup, but this is an attempted coup," the South Carolina Democrat said on  CNN's "New Day" about Trump. "Now some people are saying he is trying to steal the election. He's not trying to steal the election. That denotes some kind of unknown activity when you're stealing. That's not what he's doing. He is in your face trying to overthrow the will of the people."

Clyburn also slammed Graham, R-S.C., after the senator called on Georgia to audit ballot signatures and said there is a "civil war" brewing in the state because of the election. Trump and other Republicans say Biden's win in the state came because of voter fraud. 

"Yes, there's a civil war brewing, and it's just as idiosyncratic as the civil war we had before. And it just so happens to be brewing in the same part of the country that it broke out before. The result would be the same," Clyburn said. "This country is not going to allow this kind of activity to take place. I think that there are cooler heads (that) are prevailing. I thought I knew Lindsey Graham, but I must have been mistaken."

CNN reports that Kevin Bishop, a spokesman for Graham, said the senator was talking about there being a "GOP civil war."

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and other Republicans in Georgia have said that misinformation is hurting the state, particularly as the Senate runoff races approach in the elections between GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Raphael Warnock, and between Republican Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff. 

Clyburn is co-chairing Biden's inaugural committee, and on Tuesday said the inauguration plans call for a virtual event, with Biden to possibly celebrate the election more publicly at a later date, possibly on July 4 if the COVID-19 emergency has eased by then. 

• Texas AG Paxton Files Election Suit Against 4 Battleground States
• Trump Campaign Files Lawsuit in Georgia to Overturn Result