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Lindsey Graham Quotes

Lindsey Olin Graham is an American politician serving as the senior United States Senator from South Carolina, a seat he has held since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.

A native of Central, South Carolina, Graham graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1977. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1981. He served in the United States Air Force from 1982 to 1988 and served in the South Carolina Air National Guard then in the Air Force Reserve, attaining the rank of colonel. He worked as a lawyer in private practice before he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1992, serving one term from 1993 to 1995. He then served in the United States House of Representatives, representing South Carolina's 3rd congressional district from 1995 to 2003. He was elected to four terms, receiving at least 60% of the vote each time.

In 2002, Graham ran for the U.S. Senate after eight-term Republican incumbent Strom Thurmond announced his retirement. Graham won the primary unopposed and defeated Democratic opponent Alex Sanders in the general election. Graham was re-elected to a second term in 2008, defeating Bob Conley. He won a third term in 2014, defeating Democrat Brad Hutto and Independent Thomas Ravenel.

A retired U.S. Air Force Reserve colonel, Graham is known in the Senate for his advocacy of a strong national defense, his support of the military, and as an advocate of strong United States leadership in world affairs. He is also known for his willingness to be bipartisan and work with Democrats on issues like campaign finance reform, line item veto, global warming, Waterboarding ban, immigration reform and his belief that judicial nominees should not be opposed solely on their philosophical positions. He is also a critic of the Tea Party movement, arguing for a more inclusive Republican Party.On May 18, 2015, Graham informally announced his candidacy for President of the United States, followed by a formal announcement on June 21, 2015, in his hometown of Central, South Carolina. On December 21, 2015, he ended his campaign for the presidency. He later endorsed Jeb Bush for President. After Bush suspended his campaign on February 20, Graham subsequently endorsed Ted Cruz. In May 2016, Graham refused to support or vote for Donald Trump when he became the presumptive nominee; and later the Republican Presidential candidate. Since the Presidential election, Graham has reversed his stance on Trump and has become a staunch ally of the President, often issuing public statements in his defense.Graham is poised to become chairman of the Senate's powerful Judiciary Committee in the 116th Congress in 2019.

✵ 9. July 1955
Lindsey Graham photo
Lindsey Graham: 16   quotes 0   likes

Famous Lindsey Graham Quotes

“Finally, a president willing to take on this absurd policy of birthright citizenship.
I’ve always supported comprehensive immigration reform – and at the same time – the elimination of birthright citizenship.
In addition, I plan to introduce legislation along the same lines as the proposed executive order from President”

Lindsey Graham

7:45am https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1057282345991106560 then 7:51am https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1057283734519463937 then 11:01am https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1057286251517116416 as quoted 30 October 2018 by CBC https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-birthright-citizenship-1.4883589
2010s

“There are bad people in this world who are motivated by hate.”

Lindsey Graham

As quoted in "South Carolina Governor Releases Strangely Obtuse Statement On Black Church Shooting" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/18/nikki-haley-charleston-shooting_n_7612398.html?ir=Black+Voices&ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000047 (18 June 2015), by Julia Craven, The Huffington Post
2010s

“I can't explain this. I don't know what would make a young man at 21 get so sick and twisted to kill nine people in a church; this is beyond my understanding… There are real people out there who are organized to kill people in religion and based on race. But it's 2015 there are people out there looking for Christians to kill them. So this is a mean time we live in.”

Lindsey Graham

As quoted in "Lindsey Graham Says SC Church Shooting Suspect Dylann Roof Was His Niece's Classmate" http://abcnews.go.com/US/lindsey-graham-sc-church-shooting-suspect-dylann-roof/story?id=31877465 (18 June 2015), by Ali Dukakis, ABC News
2010s

“Our government has a responsibility to defend our borders, but we must do so in a way that makes us safer and upholds all that is decent and exceptional about our nation.”

Lindsey Graham

2010s
Source: Statement by Senators McCain & Graham on Executive Order on Immigration (27 January 2017) from the Office of Senator John McCain http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/1/statement-by-senators-mccain-graham-on-executive-order-on-immigration regarding [Donald J. Trump]'s Executive Order 13769 entitled "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States", as quoted by Jacob Sallum from Reason magazine in Here Is What Republican Critics of Trump's Immigration Order Are Saying on January 31, 2017 http://reason.com/blog/2017/01/31/here-is-what-republican-critics-of-trump

“It’s like [choosing between] being shot or poisoned.”

Lindsey Graham

Lindsey Graham about whether he would choose Trump or Cruz for the President of the United States. February 21, 2016
2010s

“And here's the first thing I would do if I were president of the United States. I wouldn't let Congress leave town until we fix this. I would literally use the military to keep them in if I had to. We're not leaving town until we restore these defense cuts. We are not leaving town until we restore the intel cuts.”

Lindsey Graham

"Politics and Pies" http://benswann.com/graham-military-force-congress/ forum hosted by Concord City Republican Committee (7 March 2015)
2010s

Lindsey Graham Quotes

“Embracing Donald Trump is embracing demographic death.”

Lindsey Graham

Commenting on Donald J. Trump's unpopularity among Hispanic American voters (6 May 2016)
2010s

Death

“I am running (for president) because I think the world is falling apart.”

Lindsey Graham

As quoted in "Lindsey Graham announcing at CBS “This Morning” interview his presidential bid" https://www.yahoo.com/politics/lindsey-graham-i-am-running-because-the-world-is-119274762516.html (18 May 2015), by Dylan Stableford, "YAHOO Politics"
2010s

World , Thinking

“As a party, we are better to risk losing without Donald Trump than trying to win with him. Enough already with Mister Trump.”

Lindsey Graham

Twitter post http://www.examiner.com/article/lindsey-graham-better-for-a-democrat-to-win-the-white-house-than-donald-trump (August 2015)
2010s

“We have never seen more threats against our nation and its citizens than we do today.”

Lindsey Graham

As quoted in "America's Next Top Fearmonger: The presidential candidates compete to scare the daylights out of the U.S. public." http://nationalinterest.org/feature/america%E2%80%99s-next-top-fearmonger-12954 (22 May 2015), by Robert Golan-Vilella, National Interest
2010s

“If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody could convict you.”

Lindsey Graham

Graham commenting on unpopularity of Cruz in the Senate. As quoted in http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/26/politics/lindsey-graham-ted-cruz-dinner/ February 26, 2016
2010s

“Let's just get to the political heart of the matter, No matter what you want to call it, beyond border enforcement, a lot of people, particularly on our side, don't want to have a debate about this. Even if you debate it, you're wrong. Even if you're open-minded about compromise, you're wrong. It's a very simple answer to a complex problem. Send them all back. End of discussion, end of debate. Now that to me is not a realistic approach to a real problem.”

Lindsey Graham

On immigration; articles.sfgate.com, 17 March 2006 accessed 4 February 2010 http://articles.sfgate.com/2006-03-17/news/17287919_1_guest-worker-plan-illegal-immigrants-border-crackdown-bill
2000s

People , Problem , Heart

“I'm not a libertarian. If you are, you're welcome to vote for me and help this party, but we're not gonna build the party around libertarian ideas.”

Lindsey Graham

South Carolina GOP convention https://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=14xKzja8KtE (16 May 2009), as quoted in "Lindsey Graham gets combative over GOP's future" http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/17/lindsey-graham-gets-combative-over-gop-future/ (2009), Political Thinker, State of Georgia: Cable News Network
2000s

Idea , Help

“Everything I know about the Iranians I learned at the pool room," [Graham] said. "I met a lot of liars, and I know the Iranians are lying.”

Lindsey Graham

As quoted in "Republican conference: Day two - Bush 'proud' of family" http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32850481 (22 May 2015), by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, United Kingdom: British Broadcasting Corporation
2010s

Lying , Learning

“What are you doing? Take back the Senate!
You’ve got guns. Use them. We give you guns for a reason, use them.
Lethal force should have been used.
How come you didn’t protect us? It’s doing your job.”

Lindsey Graham

Source: 6 January 2021, reported 1 November 2021 by Joseph Choi of "The Hill" here https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/579453-graham-told-officers-on-jan-6-to-use-their-guns-on-rioters-report
Context: despite what Graham said, lethal force WAS used, as Ashli Babbitt was shot to death

“I don’t want to reinforce that defiling the Capitol was okay. I don’t want to do anything that would make this more likely in the future.
I hope they go to jail and get the book thrown at them because they deserve it.”

Lindsey Graham

Source: 30 January 2022 reported by TGP https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/01/hope-go-jail-get-book-thrown-deserve-lindsey-graham-susan-collins-buck-trump-vow-persecute-jan-6ers/

Future , Hope , Books

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