WASHINGTON — Hours before the second impeachment trial of now-former President Donald Trump began in Washington, Utah Senator Mike Lee (R) said Trump deserved a "mulligan" for his involvement in the riots at the U.S. Capitol that left five people dead.
"Everyone makes mistakes." said Lee on the "America's Newsroom" program on Fox News. "Everyone's entitled to a mulligan once in a while."
In golf, the term mulligan refers to an extra stroke being allowed after a poor shot on the course.
Lee made the comments after the show aired clips from speeches by Democratic politicians that Republicans say incited crowds as much as Trump's before the Jan. 6 insurrection. When asked, Lee said there was no difference between the speeches by those specific Democrats and the one Trump gave before the Capitol riots.
After many were angered over the senator's remarks, Sen. Lee tweeted an explanation late Tuesday.
"To be perfectly clear, my reference to taking a "mulligan" was not referring to Trump, but to Democratic politicians whose inflammatory comments had just been played for me on the air. I used the term only to avoid needlessly inflaming partisan passions."
Lee also offered his opinion on how he believes the latest impeachment trial of Trump will play out.
"I think it begins with a lengthy diatribe against the former president, and I think it ends in his acquittal," said Lee.
