Acting like a Hillary Clinton spokesman on Tuesday’s Good Morning America, ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos pressed newly-announced Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham on possibly supporting Clinton in the 2016 election: “Rand Paul is tying the Senate up in knots right now....I know you’ve been worried about his take on national security. So, if he prevails over you and the other candidates, who would you support for commander-in-chief? Rand Paul or Hillary Clinton?”
While Graham still expressed reservations about Paul’s foreign policy stances, the South Carolina Senator replied: “Well, when I came out of my coma, I would support Rand Paul. I mean, it would be devastating, I think, to our party to nominate Rand Paul as our nominee, on national security in particular, but if he wins the primary process I will support him.”
In a follow-up question, Clinton Foundation donor Stephanopoulos again made his former boss the central focus: “I know you don't think it's gonna happen, but you’ve called Secretary Clinton a ‘national treasure’ in the past, said she was one of the most effective Secretaries of State ever, what changed?”
Graham explained:
Well, she did a good job in Africa. What changed is basically the world is falling apart and she's got her fingerprints on it. The reset with Russia’s not going very well. After Gaddafi was taken down – and I give her and Susan Rice credit for pushing President Obama to help the Libyan people – we disengaged. So at the end of the day – pulling our troops out of Iraq too soon – it's just absolute, a disaster on multiple fronts and she was his Secretary of State and she owns this whole policy of leading from behind.
On Monday, the left-wing American Bridge PAC touted Graham referring to Clinton and then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates as “national treasures” in a 2011 CNN interview.
Stephanopoulos began Tuesday’s exchange by urging Graham to admit foreign policy mistakes:
You’ve said many times that you’ve been more right than wrong on foreign policy. But as President Obama said yesterday, the hardest part of being president may be living and learning from your wrong decisions. So where have you been wrong on foreign policy, what did you learn from it?
Here is a full transcript of the June 2 interview:
7:11 AM ET
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The race for president now and our exclusive interview with the newest official candidate, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, the ninth Republican to jump in. Launching his campaign from his boyhood town of Central, South Carolina with this argument:
LINDSEY GRAHAM: I’ve got one simple message. I have more experience with our national security than any other candidate in this race. That includes you, Hillary.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator Graham, welcome to the race. Welcome to GMA. Thanks for joining us this morning.
GRAHAM: Good morning. Good morning.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You’ve said many times that you’ve been more right than wrong on foreign policy. But as President Obama said yesterday, the hardest part of being president may be living and learning from your wrong decisions. So where have you been wrong on foreign policy, what did you learn from it?
GRAHAM: Well, I think when we initially went into Iraq, I bought the idea that maybe dismantling the Iraqi army was a good idea, I didn't ask enough questions about that. But after about the second or third trip, I realized that our policies in Iraq were not going well under President Bush. So yeah, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes, too.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Rand Paul is tying the Senate up in knots right now. You’ve had some tough words for him as he takes on the NSA's domestic surveillance program. I know you’ve been worried about his take on national security. So, if he prevails over you and the other candidates, who would you support for commander-in-chief? Rand Paul or Hillary Clinton?
GRAHAM: Well, when I came out of my coma, I would support Rand Paul. I mean, it would be devastating, I think, to our party to nominate Rand Paul as our nominee, on national security in particular, but if he wins the primary process I will support him. But that has very little chance of happening in my view.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I know you don't think it's gonna happen, but you’ve called Secretary Clinton a “national treasure” in the past, said she was one of the most effective Secretaries of State ever, what changed?
GRAHAM: Well, she did a good job in Africa. What changed is basically the world is falling apart and she's got her fingerprints on it. The reset with Russia’s not going very well. After Gaddafi was taken down – and I give her and Susan Rice credit for pushing President Obama to help the Libyan people – we disengaged. So at the end of the day – pulling our troops out of Iraq too soon – it's just absolute, a disaster on multiple fronts and she was his Secretary of State and she owns this whole policy of leading from behind.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You have had long experience in national security affairs, as you said, but our new poll with the Washington Post shows you stuck at the back of the pack at about 1%. How are you going to turn that around and get into the debates?
GRAHAM: Just going to have to show up in New Hampshire and Iowa and South Carolina and sell the idea that I am the most experienced. I’ve been to Iraq and Afghanistan well over 30 times. 33 years in the Air Force has taught me well about how our military works. And I think I have the knowledge, background, and experience unique to this race. And just go to New Hampshire, go to Iowa, go to South Carolina and make the case and engage people. The good news about Iowa and New Hampshire is an anecdote to big money, you could buy the primary if it were the large states, but you gotta earn your way forward in New Hampshire, Iowa, and South Carolina, and I think that’s where I’ll do well.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Finally sir, we only have a few seconds left, but your sister Darlene gave a moving tribute to you at your announcement yesterday, said you basically raised her. What’s the most important thing you want people to know about the personal side of Lindsey Graham?
GRAHAM: That we’re all one car wreck away from needing somebody’s help. You can be riding high one day and your life turned upside down. If it weren't for family, friends, and faith, I wouldn't be sitting here. I am not a self-made man and I just worry about, what about people without family? So, one thing I’ve learned, George is that life is very fragile and there's a role for government, I don't want to be overbearing, but I’ve learned as a young man there's a role for family, friends, faith, and the government when you're down.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator Graham, thanks for joining us this morning.
GRAHAM: Thank you.
