During the Fox News Channel’s coverage of President Trump’s Afghanistan speech, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) praised President Trump’s Afghanistan policy announcement and warned members of Congress that the next 9/11 will be their fault if they vote the policy down.
Graham predicted that Trump’s proposal will receive a lot of bipartisan support in Congress. He continued, “I’m proud. I’m relieved. I’m proud of the fact that President Trump made a national security decision, not a political decision. … I’m relieved he did not take the advice to withdraw, which would have been disastrous or create a mercenary army.”
Graham later added, “I am very pleased with this plan, and I am very proud of my president.”
He also praised President Trump for delegating to the generals and stated that President Obama “was a lousy general.” Graham also expressed support for moving away from a timetable-based policy to one based on conditions on the ground.
Graham also took issue with Senator Rand Paul’s (R-KY) statement on Afghanistan. Graham stated that he thinks Rand is a worse general than Obama and that Rand has “been wrong about everything in this war. It’s that kind of thinking that got us into 9/11.” Graham continued that on September 10, 2001, the US was trying the Rand Paul policy because it didn’t have any troops in Afghanistan, an embassy, or any aid going to Afghanistan.
He also stated that he doesn’t think Congress has to vote on the new Afghanistan strategy, but will vote on it and will push to pass the new strategy.
Graham concluded by warning his colleagues in Congress, “You will own a no vote. The next 9/11 will be your fault, not President Trump’s fault, if you shoot down this plan.”
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