Sen. Lindsey Graham Endorses Jeb as Most Ready to Lead and the Best Equipped to Destroy ISIS
LINDSEY
GRAHAM: Now I am a citizen having to cast my vote as to who I want to
be commander in chief for that 1% fighting force. I have concluded
without any hesitation, without any doubt that Jeb Bush
is ready on day one to be a commander in chief worthy of the sacrifices
of the 1% who have been fighting this war. Last night he said I will
have their backs. I believe he will. Last night he explained in the
best possible terms why we need partners to win
a war that we can't afford to lose. To those of you who worry about
going in it alone, you don't have to worry with Jeb because he
understands that America can't go at it alone but of all others running
for president, I think he has the ability to bring the
world on board. Mr. Trump doubled down on the idea that we as a nation
should ban every muslim in the world at least temporarily from coming
to our great country. I can't think of a worse idea in terms of how to
fight and win this war. Many of the people running
for president are eerily silent on this issue. Last night, I heard from
Jeb Bush the right answer. That we need to vet and make sure that those
who come from war torn regions are properly vetted so they don't
infiltrate our country to do harm. But we cannot
and should not declare war on a religion because when you do you make
it almost impossible to form the partnerships that are so desperately
needed to protect our country. What Jeb Bush understands I think
better
than anyone else is that this is a religious
war and the only way to win this war is to partner with people within
the faith to destroy a common enemy. Last night he did not talk the
most but he made the most sense.
Last night he demonstrated somebody who, in my view, is ready on
day one to be commander in chief and a temperament that the next
commander in chief needs to posses. Somebody who's thoughtful, quietly
resolved to protect america's interest,
and capable of reaching out to the world at large to reset a world that
is very much in danger. It is not enough to criticize Barack Obama. You
have to have an alternative to leading from behind and Jeb Bush has
that alternative. His plan to defeat ISIL is
the most comprehensive and well thought out of anyone on both sides on
the the aisle. and finally when it comes to speaking up and speaking
out on emotional issues like immigration, the thing i admire most about
Jeb, that he he has stayed true to who he is,
that he hasn't tried to get ahead in a contested primary by embracing
demagoguery. He's not running to be commander in chief by running
people down. He's trying to create the ability to grow our party that
desperately needs to grow. Here's what I'm convinced
more than anything else, that Jeb Bush as President of the United
States, he will put the country ahead of the party. That he was the
governor of a very diverse state that brought people together. America
is a very diverse country desperately in need of leadership
to bring us together. As to South Carolina, we have a reputation of
picking the most conservative person who can win. I think that Jeb, by
any reasonable definition, is a fiscal and social conservative and
above all others he understands conservatism when
it comes to national security. Conservatism when it comes to national
security is building a strong military second to none and using it
smartly and forming alliances that will make us safe over here. Jeb has
come to conclude, as I have, that you have two
choices in fighting this war, fight it over there smartly or fight it
in our backyard. I've spent most of my life in the military. Its been
one of the things I've been most proud of. I know those who are
fighting in this war. I've walked in their shoes. I've
spent time trying to learn their world. I would not endorse someone
that I didn't really believe in, that would really truly have their
backs. So ladies and gentleman, South Carolina is gonna reset this
race. On February
20th,
we're going to give Jeb Bush the momentum that he needs and deserves to
win the nomination. And to the Republican Party, Jeb Bush is going to
be a nominee that can win an election that as a party that we can't
afford to lose. To the nation, he
will be the president that can reset the world, bring us
together, and
can solve hard problems. Above all else, he is a good man who is
comfortable in his own skin, and who understands truly what makes
America great. It is our diversity, not who we hate but
what we love. The next President of the United States Jeb Bush.
