South Carolina Senator and Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham said of fellow candidate Donald Trump “he’s consolidated all Republicans who think Obama’s a Muslim, and that he was born in Kenya, whatever block that is, that’s what he got” and that Trump’s ISIS plan “would the biggest recruiting opportunity in the history of ISIL” in addition to also criticizing Trump and fellow candidate Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker on immigration on Wednesday’s “Morning Joe” on MSNBC.
Graham was asked, “What has Trump done to the overall kind of Tea Party coalition within the party? Has he exposed part, has he made it easier for Republicans to expand their reach to build a broader coalition with Independents and even perhaps some disaffected Democrats to win perhaps in ’16?”
He answered, “Well, he’s consolidated all Republicans who think Obama’s a Muslim, and that he was born in Kenya, whatever block that is, that’s what he got. And I’m going for the other crowd, I’m going for the crowd that says, ‘Okay, I think he’s a Christian. I believe he was born in Hawaii, but he’s a bad president and he’s been a very poor commander-in-chief. Mr. Trump’s solution to destroying ISIL is as follows: I’m going to send our guys and gals over there to take oil from Iraq and Syria to pay our wounded warriors. I don’t think that destroys ISIL, Harold. I think that destroys our standing in the Mideast. And ISIL would love that plan, it would the biggest recruiting opportunity in the history of ISIL. That plan is ill-conceived, and he’s leading. So, pay attention to what the guy is saying on national security. He’s making no sense.
Graham was also asked for his thoughts on, “Governor Walker, in an attempt to out-Trump Donald Trump on immigration, sounded as if he were trying to get the endorsement of the bricklayers union when he said let’s build a wall across Canada.” He jokingly said, “See this is where we need to be going on immigration. It really is, we need more walls on both borders. And I’m going to mine the harbor if I’m president. But the wonderful people will be able to get through the harbor, because there will be a passage for them.”
Graham added, “I think the wall that Mr. Trump is building is between us and Hispanics, and a lot of our guys are taking the bait. At the end of the day, what I’m worried about most is not somebody coming from Canada, but from Syria or Iraq, with a Western passport, to attack us. Another 9/11 is coming. I agree with Dick Cheney, and we’re talking about pretty silly things. We’re talking about building a wall between us and Canada. At the end of the day, what I am most worried about, is radical Islam is on the move over there, they’re coming here, and we have no strategy to disrupt them before we get attacked.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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