
(CNSNews.com) – Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), speaking to Sean Hannity after President Donald Trump’s speech to the nation, said this is “the most presidential” he’s seen Trump.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), speaking to Sean Hannity after the speech, said this is “the most presidential” he’s seen Trump.
“This is the most presidential I’ve seen President Trump. It was compelling, and everything he said was true. About 30 percent of the 2200 miles of border has some form of border. There are already walls along the border. We just need to extend those walls where it makes sense,” Graham said.
Graham said he and the president have something in common with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). They’re all protected by law enforcement.
“The one thing we have in common as a member of the Senate, speaker of the House, minority leader of the Senate and president of the United States, we have a bunch of people guarding us with guns. It’s pretty hard to get in the Capitol, really hard to get in the White House. All the president’s saying is I’d like to provide more security to the American people,” the senator said.
Graham pointed out that Democrats voted for billions in border security when Barack Obama was president and when George W. Bush was in office.
“It is a crisis,” he said. “I’ve tried to be reasonable and practical, but when it comes to immigration, and I’m flabbergasted to hear from my Democratic colleagues, who voted for billions of dollars in border security money that this is manufactured. Was it manufactured when Obama wanted the money? No. Why did you give the money to Obama and Bush if it was a manufactured crisis?”
“Every Democrat you heard from tonight has voted for border security, but when it comes to Trump, they say no. So Nancy Pelosi says end the shutdown. Donald Trump says secure the border. How about this? Let’s secure the border. Then end the shutdown,” Graham suggested.
“I’ve been dealing with this since 2006. This is the best chance I’ve seen to get a deal. The president made a compelling case tonight for more border security, and I think he is right to ask for more money to secure our border. As to the government employees, I’m sorry you’re in the middle of this mess, but you’ll get your back pay. You’re going to be fully compensated. Mrs. Singh is not going to get her husband back,” the senator said, referring to the California police sergeant killed the day after Christmas.
Graham said it’s difficult to work with Democratic members who accuse those who are in support of the wall a “racist.”
“There’s a deal to be had here, but it’s hard to get a deal when people you’re dealing with call you a racist because you want a border security wall, give you a dollar and say that’s enough, accuse Border Patrol agents of gassing children when mobs run toward our border. We’re dealing with pretty radical people here, and we’re never going to get a deal until the radicals are set to the side, and we get reasonable people to deal with,” he said.