As former GOP presidential candidate and Senator Lindsey Graham appeared as a guest on Thursday's The Situation Room on CNN, after the South Carolina Republican bashed candidates Ted Cruz and Donald Trump as possible GOP nominees, host Wolf Blitzer repeatedly pressed Graham to voice a preference for someone other than the GOP nominee, suggesting Michael Bloomberg or Hillary Clinton might be better for the "health of the country."
At about 6:18 p.m. ET, after Graham complained about Senator Cruz's views on foreign policy, Blitzer followed up: "So you don't have any confidence in him basically to be commander-in-chief?"
After the South Carolina Republican asserted that "If you're a Republican and your choice is Donald Trump or Ted Cruz in the general election, it's the difference between poisoned and shot. You're still dead," Blitzer brought up the possibility of former New York mayor Bloomberg running: "And if Michael Bloomberg were to throw his hat into the ring, if it were let's say Cruz or Trump, you would go with Michael Bloomberg?"
After Graham admitted that he would still support Cruz or Trump over any non-Republican, Blitzer repeatedly made follow up questions and comments on the subject totaling six additional times, even bringing up the possibility of supporting Hillary Clinton, before changing the subject.
The CNN host made the below follow-up questions and comments:
Even if that Republican nominee is not qualified?
Well, why would you support a Republican nominee who's not quali-
But isn't the country more important than being a Republican?
We got to take a break, but very quickly, why would you even support somebody like that when you could support somebody like, let's say, like a Michael Bloomberg, if he were to throw his hat into the ring?
Would you feel more comfortable with Hillary Clinton?
The only point I was making, there's something very often party affiliation is important, but the health of the country is more important than the party affiliation.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Thursday, February 4, The Situation Room on CNN:
6:18 p.m. ET
WOLF BLITZER: So you don't have any confidence in him basically to be commander-in-chief?SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I think he's been just as bad as Obama, if not worse.
BLITZER: Do you think he's worse than Trump?
GRAHAM: I don't know if anybody's worse than Trump. So you're asking me, you ask Jimmy Carter, "Well, who would you vote for?" Nobody really cares what Jimmy Carter thinks in our primary, and I like him as a person, but let me tell you this: If you're a Republican and your choice is Donald Trump or Ted Cruz in the general election, it's the difference between poisoned and shot. You're still dead.
BLITZER: And if Michael Bloomberg were to throw his hat into the ring, if it were let's say Cruz or Trump, you would go with Michael Bloomberg?
GRAHAM: No, I'm going to support the Republican nominee. I'm going to buy a-
BLITZER: Even if that Republican nominee is not qualified?
GRAHAM: I'm going to buy a ticket on the (INAUDIBLE).
BLITZER: Well, why would you support a Republican nominee who's not quali-
GRAHAM: Because I can't have it both ways. I'm a Republican.
BLITZER: But isn't the country more important than being a Republican?
GRAHAM: Yeah, the country is really important, but it's also important that my party understand what awaits them. I'm trying to tell my party, for what it's worth, these guys did far better than I'm doing. I just know this: To win a general election, you've got to have the temperament, background, judgment and experience to be commander-in-chief. I don't think Donald Trump has the temperament. His foreign policy is completely gibberish. His domestic policy is all emotional. It won't work. Ted Cruz at his core is an opportunist when it comes to his political career.
He has an ideological bent that won't sell with the American people. And when it came time to say what Ted Cruz has done in the Senate, what he's done is run down other Republicans. He hasn't solved any problem. I think Jeb Bush has got a record that most people in South Carolina are going to appreciate. He's got a steady hand, a temperament I want. I don't want people going into war based on a Donald Trump or a Ted Cruz approach to how to defend this country.
BLITZER: We got to take a break, but very quickly, why would you even support somebody like that when you could support somebody like, let's say, like a Michael Bloomberg, if he were to throw his hat into the ring?
GRAHAM: Because I'm a Republican, not an independent.
BLITZER: Would you feel more comfortable with Hillary Clinton?
GRAHAM: Well, will Hillary Clinton support Bernie Sanders? I think Bernie Sanders is a disaster. I think Bernie Sanders is a disaster equal to Donald Trump.
BLITZER: The only point I was making, there's something very often party affiliation is important, but the health of the country is more important than the party affiliation.
GRAHAM: Yeah, I think I proved that I'm a pretty independent-minded guy, and I'll do what I think is best for the country. But we're talking about nominating somebody to be the Republican standardbearer.
