The next is the transcript of an interview with Sen. Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, on “Face the Country with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Jan. 19, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We are going to flip now to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who joins us this morning from Seneca, South Carolina. Excellent morning to you, Senator.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM: Excellent morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I believe you might be supportive of this ceasefire and Mike Waltz’s pledge to peer it via?
SEN. GRAHAM: Yeah. I very a lot respect what Brett and Steve Witkoff have accomplished. Let me simply say this, those folks would now not be popping out if Donald Trump had now not demanded they be out. The whole thing Brett stated about force on Hamas and Iran is correct, however the sport changer of when Trump stated, I need them out, all hell will probably be to pay. Now here is what I hope, they arrive out, the deal holds, however what does the top of the battle seem like? I need to strengthen one thing to you, this battle won’t ever finish with Hamas answerable for Gaza–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Proper–
SEN. GRAHAM: –politically or militarily. Their days are numbered. And the following query for the arena is, what can we do concerning the Iran nuclear program? That is the place we are going to transfer to subsequent. There is international relations. There is a one in trillion likelihood you’ll be able to degrade the Iranian nuclear program via international relations. There is a 90% likelihood you’ll be able to degrade it via army motion via Israel, supported via the US. So the following matter I can be enticing in with President Trump is to take this second in time to decimate the Iran nuclear program as a result of they are so exposed–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –What does that imply?
SEN. GRAHAM: Lend a hand Israel ship a knockout blow–
MARGARET BRENNAN: What does that imply?
SEN. GRAHAM: It manner giving Israel the capabilities–
MARGARET BRENNAN: What does that imply? You will urge him to have Israel bomb Iran’s amenities which are underground and that can require U.S. army beef up to if truth be told have be efficient?
SEN. GRAHAM: I will urge the decimation of the Iranian nuclear program. I don’t believe international relations works. Brett will let you know what they’ve accomplished to Hezbollah and Hamas has been superb. The proxies are extremely weakened. Israel can cross any place they need to cross. It is a relig- spiritual Nazi regime. They need to break the Jewish state. They need to purify Islam and pressure us out of the Mideast. It will be like negotiating with Hitler. I hope there will probably be an effort via Israel to decimate the Iran nuclear program supported via the US, and if we do not do this, it is going to be a ancient mistake.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Lindsey Graham, I’ve so much to get to at the home entrance, however this is rather a marker to put down. I need to ask you about what you might be operating on regionally with Stephen Miller, Trump’s Place of birth Safety Marketing consultant–
SEN. GRAHAM: –sure.
MARGARET BRENNAN: On border safety, and I perceive its a part of the large Republican reconciliation invoice that is being put in combination. Do you may have a most sensible line quantity but on how a lot that is all going to price?
SEN. GRAHAM: Sure, $100 billion for border safety via reconciliation could be sufficient to rent ICE brokers, create new detention beds and end the wall and put generation in position over 4 years. 200 billion will probably be given to the army to make it extra in a position to deterring China. 100 billion for border, 200 billion for the army. I met with Mike Johnson the day gone by. He is a pricey buddy. I love him very much. He has a political downside in the home. He desires to do one giant, stunning invoice. I have by no means been extra nervous about an assault on our fatherland than I’m now, with the upward push of ISIS in Afghanistan and wars everywhere the arena, I believe the #1 precedence for the Republican Celebration must be to protected that border. You want new cash to do it, and if we do not, we are enjoying Russian roulette with our personal nationwide safety. Border first. Army investment first. Get the tax cuts and spending discounts put in combination in a while. You want to protected that border like our existence trusted it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Neatly, this invoice goes to be larger than the $300 billion you simply laid out. What is the timetable on that? As a result of Johnson says–
SEN. GRAHAM: –it’s gonna be so much bigger–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Memorial Day.
SEN. GRAHAM: Neatly, I’m hoping we will be able to get there, however to those that need to cut back spending, I am giving you a chance to return meet me subsequent week. You have to reduce spending. That is reconciliation compliant, and we have now were given sufficient votes to cut back spending. So are we able to do two and a part trillion greenbacks over 10 yard- 10 years? Let’s give it a check out. I need to do two issues, reduce spending and make the tax cuts everlasting. The Secretary of Treasury Steve Bessent stated, if the tax reduce expire, it is going to be a disaster for our financial system. I do not consider there may be one Republican available in the market, in the event that they have been driven, would let the tax cuts expire, as a result of that is a 4 and a part trillion greenback tax build up. I need to reduce spending, however my primary precedence is to protected that border briefly.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Neatly, we will be able to watch the politics of the imaginable with the very difficult Caucus within the Area. Let me ask you concerning the Senate, regardless that, since you are at the Judiciary Committee. Kash Patel, the pick out to run the FBI, does not actually have a listening to scheduled but. In his 2022 memoir Invoice Barr stated of Kas Patel, “he is any person without a background as an agent, would by no means have the ability to command the dignity essential to run the everyday operations of the Bureau. He has just about no revel in that may qualify him to serve on the very best stage, the arena’s preeminent legislation enforcement company… The theory of shifting him into a task like this confirmed a stunning detachment from truth.” Was once Legal professional Basic Barr flawed then and flawed now?
SEN. GRAHAM: Yeah, he used to be flawed then, and he is flawed now. And I take my recommendation on Kash Patel from Trey Gowdy, pricey buddy from South Carolina who labored with Kash. Kash used to be a public defender. He used to be a prosecutor. He labored with Trey Gowdy concerning the Russia hoax. So I do assume he has the revel in. He has the accept as true with of the President, and we will see how this performs out. However Trey Gowdy is enthusiastically supporting Kash Patel, and that suggests so much to me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Neatly- k. However he is were given an inventory he is printed Kash Patel has. He printed it in a guide of enemies. It contains folks just like the FBI director, Protection Secretary Austin, Invoice Barr, former White Area Recommend Pat Cipollone, former CIA director Gina Haskel, the pinnacle of CENTCOM. I imply, do you are taking him at his phrase right here? That those are an enemy’s listing and you will put him in a legislation enforcement position to head after him?
SEN. GRAHAM: I consider the listening to will divulge him to be an overly certified guy of the legislation. He wrote a guide. He’s going to have to respond to questions on what is within the guide, however I am in a position to vote for him, as a result of I do know him too. See, you by no means requested me concerning the Russia hoax, that he uncovered. Other folks at the proper consider that he used to be a part of the answer, now not the issue. You requested a just right query of Brett, has Israel suffered as a result of this battle? They went too some distance at the international degree. Here is what’s took place at the international degree. The World Legal Courtroom goes to be sanctioned via the Congress Republicans and Democrats as a result of they are seeking to prosecute the high minister of Israel-
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Lindsey- Lindsey Graham, this can be a some distance cry from the query about Kash Patel. You took me the entire method to Israel from Kash Patel. Are you-
SEN. GRAHAM: — Yeah shall we get again to Kash Patel–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — You might be committing to vote for him it doesn’t matter what? —
SEN. GRAHAM: — Yeah–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — You will vote for Kash Patel?–
SEN. GRAHAM: I would possibly not say it doesn’t matter what. However I- sure, I’m in a position to vote for Kash Patel, as a result of you are going to by no means inquire from me the position he performed in exposing the darkest second of the FBI since Edgar- J Edgar Hoover. That is why I accept as true with him.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Ok. Ask him about going after newshounds, which he is additionally stated, I am within the solution to that query. We’re going to be proper back–
SEN. GRAHAM: — I am yes Democratic pals will ask him. And you should not fear about Kash Patel. You must fear about reporting the scoop relatively, which you do not do on the subject of the whole lot Trump.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Lindsey Graham, your visitor in this program as a result of we needed to listen to you out–
SEN. GRAHAM:– So anyway, thanks–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — And we welcome you back–
SEN. GRAHAM: — Neatly just right. Thanks–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — As we ceaselessly do, anytime, to legacy media–
SEN. GRAHAM: — I will be again. I will be again.–
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re going to be proper again.
