--- title: Donald Trump: Lindsey Graham Says Russia Hacked Election description: Sen. Lindsey Graham countered President Trump's comments about who was responsible for the hacks that influenced the 2016 election canonical: https://time.com/4771426/lindsey-graham-election-interference-400-pound-hacker/ author: Katie Reilly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-05-08T21:18:03.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:48:40.522Z article:section: Politics og:title: Lindsey Graham: Russia, 'Not Some 400-Pound Guy' Hacked the 2016 election og:description: "There’s no doubt in my mind it was the Russians involved" og:url: https://time.com/4771426/lindsey-graham-election-interference-400-pound-hacker/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltda80a28b11dff99a/6988cc7b97cdff4c096b09c0/lindsey-graham-russia-hearing.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Holds Hearing On Russia Interference In The 2016 Election og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Lindsey Graham: Russia, 'Not Some 400-Pound Guy' Hacked the 2016 election twitter:description: "There’s no doubt in my mind it was the Russians involved" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltda80a28b11dff99a/6988cc7b97cdff4c096b09c0/lindsey-graham-russia-hearing.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Sen. Lindsey Graham: It Was Russia, 'Not Some 400-Pound Guy' That Hacked the 2016 Election > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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Sally Yates delivered her opening statement about the concerns she raised regarding one of President Donald Trump's national security adviser Michael Flynn and his connections with Russia_  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly May 8, 2017 9:18 PM UTC  Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, makes an opening statement during a hearing with former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates in Washington, D.C., on May 8, 2017. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, makes an opening statement during a hearing with former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates in Washington, D.C., on May 8, 2017. Andrew Harrer—Bloomberg/Getty Images  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly May 8, 2017 9:18 PM UTC South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham countered President Donald Trump’s previous comments about who was responsible for the hacks that influenced the 2016 presidential election during his opening remarks at a [Senate Judiciary subcommittee](http://time.com/4754803/donald-trump-russia-investigation-momentum/) hearing Monday,saying there was “no doubt in his mind” Russians were involved, Graham cited intelligence findings that Russian operatives tried to interfere in the election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee computer network as well as the emails of Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. “I think every American should be concerned about what the Russians did. From my point of view, there’s no doubt in my mind it was the Russians involved in all the things I just described — not some 400-pound guy sitting on a bed, or any other country,” Graham said. “Russia is up to no good when it comes to democracies all over the world.” Graham’s comments appeared to reference [statements made by Trump](http://fortune.com/2016/09/26/presidential-debate-hackers-body-shamed/?iid=sr-link1) during a presidential debate in September. “I mean, it could be Russia, but it could also be China. It could also be lots of other people. It also could be somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds,” Trump [said](http://fortune.com/2016/09/26/presidential-debate-hackers-body-shamed/?iid=sr-link1) at the time. “You don’t know who broke into DNC.” Trump again [raised the possibility](http://fortune.com/2017/04/30/trump-china-democrat-hack/?iid=sr-link4) that China orchestrated the DNC hack in an interview last month, though he offered no evidence to back the allegation. ## Transcript I'm pleased to appear before you this afternoon, on this critically important topic of Russian interference in our last presidential election and the related topics that this subcommittee is investigating. For 27 years, I was honored to represent the people of the United States with the Department of Justice. I began as an assistant United States attorney in Atlanta in the fall of 1989 and like all prosecutors, I investigated and tried cases and worked hard to try to ensure the Safety of our communities. And of those who violated our laws were held accountable. Overtime through five Republican and Democratic administrations. I assumed greater leadership positions within the department. In US attorneys office in Atlanta, serve as chief of the fraud and public corruption section. As first assistant United States attorney and then was appointed United States attorney and then I had the privilege as serving as deputy attorney general for a little over two years and finally the current administration asked me to stay on as acting attorney general. Throughout my time at the department, I was incredibly fortunate to be able to work with the talented career men and women at the department of justice, who followed the facts and applied the law with tremendous care and dedication, and who are in fact the backbone of the department of justice. And in every step in every position from A USA to acting attorney general, I always try to carry out my responsibility to seek justice in a way that would engender the trust and the confidence of the people whom I serve. I want to thank this sub committee for conducting in an impartial and thorough investigation of this vitally important topic. The efforts by a foreign adversary to interfere and undermine our democratic processes, and those of our allies, pose a serious threat to all Americans. This hearing and other subcommittee has conducted and will be conducting in the future are imported bipartisan step in understanding the threat and the best ways to confront it going forward. As the intelligence community assessed in its January of 2017 report Russia will continue to develop capabilities to use against United States And we need to be ready to meet those threats. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to take part in today's discussion. Now, I wanna note that in my answers today, I intend to be as fulsome and as comprehensive as possible. While respecting my equal and ethical boundaries. As the sub committee understands, many of the topics of interest today concern classified information that I cannot address in this public setting. My duty to protect classified information applies just as much as a former official as it did when I led the department. In addition, I'm obviously no longer with the department of justice and I am not authorized to generally discuss deliberations within DOJ or more broadly within the executive branch, particularly on matters that may be the subject of ongoing investigations. I take those obligations very seriously and I appreciate the sub committee's shared interest in protecting classified information. And preserving the integrity of any investigations, that the Department of Justice, may now be conducting. I'll look forward to answering your questions. 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