Lindsey Graham’s decision to run for another Senate term comes as the war in Iran remains politically and strategically consequential for Republicans heading into a year when control of Congress is at stake, according to the Associated Press. The article described Graham as having President Donald Trump’s ear, backing a war with Iran, and entering the campaign with few signs of meaningful electoral pressure in his home state of South Carolina.
Graham filed Monday for a fifth term and spoke to supporters at his campaign office, where he said he had spoken with Trump Sunday night and again Monday morning. In that appearance, Graham framed the conflict as something the United States could decisively manage, telling the crowd, “We haven’t underestimated Iran at all. We’re crushing them.”
The AP report said Graham has advocated for direct confrontation between Washington and Tehran for more than a decade and has consistently resisted diplomatic alternatives. It noted that he rejected the Iran nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama and that he praised Trump’s decision last year to strike Iranian nuclear sites. The report also said Graham dismissed bipartisan criticism of his rhetoric about the conflict.
During his remarks, Graham used a stark comparison to describe Iran’s potential use of nuclear weapons, saying, “If the radical cleric in Iran had a nuclear weapon, he would use it just as certainly as Hitler were to use it. He would kill all the Jews, and we’re next.” He added that his efforts in the Senate would focus on ensuring the U.S. military “has what they need to win the wars we’re in,” with his comments positioning the effort as a priority for U.S. action.
The AP report placed Graham’s campaign message against the backdrop of a conflict that it said is already deeply unpopular with no clear endgame. It described the war as spreading through the Middle East and said oil prices have risen as the fighting continues, heightening potential political risk for Republican candidates tied to the conflict during an election year.
The report also traced how Graham’s approach to Iran has fit with Trump over time despite Trump’s “America First” skepticism toward overseas conflict. It described their relationship as evolving into one of frequent contact, and it said Graham’s close alignment has frustrated some Republicans who questioned whether his hawkish posture moves the party toward broader or deeper military action.
One of those critics, the AP report said, was U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, who complained when asked about Graham’s interest in expanding bombing campaigns to Lebanon that, “Lindsey hasn’t seen a fistfight he hasn’t wanted to turn into a bombing raid.” The article added that as Graham pushed the case for war on cable news in February, some conservative critics also portrayed him as callous and as overly influential with Trump.
The AP report also included criticism from former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, who posted on social media calling Graham “a homicidal maniac” and asserting that Trump listens to him. The report said Kelly wrote that Graham was being paraded on television, and it characterized the post as tied to Graham’s relationship with Fox News programming.
In response to the criticism, the AP report quoted White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt describing Trump’s rapport with Graham. Leavitt said Trump “hears from lawmakers all the time on a number of issues” and has “very good and candid” rapport with Graham, and she also described Republicans as supportive of Trump’s “bold decision” to launch combat operations and end what she called the Iranian “terrorist regime.”
On the campaign trail, the AP report said Graham has rarely faced a serious challenge and has typically defeated right-leaning primary opponents. It described the way he emphasizes his conservatism when seeking reelection, including by emphasizing his support for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during Senate confirmation hearings, as well as what the report said he told supporters on Monday about the morale of U.S. forces.
The AP report said Graham doubled down on support for Trump’s decision to strike Iran, arguing that “morale is high” among U.S. armed forces. It also reported that Graham told the crowd he was running to help President Trump rather than stand in his way, and he asked voters whether a Democratic candidate would support what he said Trump needs to do.