Graham Campaign Press Release - On The Hugh Hewitt Show, Graham Says, "I'm Not Looking For A Fair Fight. I Want To Have Superior Capability Over Any Enemy."

Alexandria, VA — Yesterday evening, Senator Lindsey Graham joined The Hugh Hewitt Show to discuss national security issues including, talks between China and Taiwan, Navy carriers vulnerable to Chinese missiles and downsizing of the military, the advantage of the new B-3 bomber, troops in Syria, and talks between Iran and Russia on how to handle Assad.

"[China's] Much More Militaristic, They're Much More Threatening To Their Neighbors, And We're Much Weaker... And That's What Happens When You Lead From Behind."

"In a world where there's no American leadership — if I were living next to China — I'd probably start talking to them too, because you can't trust America anymore...Nothing's changed inside of China to make you believe they're a better nation when it comes to democracy. They're much more militaristic, they're much more threatening to their neighbors, and we're much weaker. So I would imagine Taiwan sees a growing China, militarily and economically, a retreating America, and are making accommodations. And that's what happens when you lead from behind."

"The Next President Needs To Rebuild The Navy" And "Build The Military Consistent With The Threat Levels."

"I mean, numbers do matter. We've got much more efficient ships. Our virtual ships are, you know, they're very, very modern, but you need capacity... And the next president needs to rebuild the Navy to make sure that the world does hold together...

"Number one, build the military consistent with the threat levels. You know, you always have a defense structure around the threats to your country. So 350 ships versus 275 would allow you to make sure that the Marine Corps can actually land Marines without having to outsource and contract with landing crafts of other nations. 14 aircraft carriers gives you a presence in Asia and the Gulf that you can't maintain today, and it allows for our sailors to have some time at home. So 500,000 person Army versus 420, where we're headed by 2021, allows you to have an Army that can be more present in Europe...So a 500,000 person Army, I think, is the minimum we need given the threats."

"The Ability To Have A Stealth Bomber That Can Penetrate Any Air Defense System Is A Terrific Advantage For Any American President, And Bad For Our Adversaries, Good For Our Allies."

"I'm Not Looking For A Fair Fight. I Want To Have Superior Capability Over Any Enemy."

"The triad still is relevant. You know, we have nuclear submarines, you have land-based missiles, and you have manned bombers...The ability to have a stealth bomber that can penetrate any air defense system is a terrific advantage for any American president, and bad for our adversaries, good for our allies...it's time. I'm not looking for a fair fight. We're headed to spending 2.3% on GDP versus 5, which is the normal level of spending by 2021. What happens is that you don't have money to modernization. You have too few people, and old weapons. So I want to get back up to 5% of GDP, have a robust Navy, a robust Army, and I'm not looking for a fair fight. I want to have superior capability over any enemy."

"Every Commander-In-Chief Owes It To Those That They Send Into Battle, Or Into Harm's Way, To Give Them A Chance To Win."

"He's put 50 brave Americans in a no-win situation. Now, those who serve in the military expect to take risks for their country. But every commander-in-chief owes it to those that they send into battle, or into harm's way, to give them a chance to win. So from an ISIL point of view, this is less than being all in. When the President says I'm going to degrade and destroy you, and the enemy hears 50 people, that means they're emboldened. They know that he's weak. When our allies hear 50 people, that's the signal we're not committed. And the 50 people are in harm's way without a chance of winning... I'm going to write a letter to the Department of Defense asking them to give me a detailed plan as to how these 50 people will be used, and how we're going to train the Free Syrian Army in the future before I throw good money after bad... We've taken a couple hundred billion dollars to train 50-something people, and got nothing for it. You know what I would do? There would be three ground components if Lindsey Graham were president - a Free Syrian Army, we would have a no-fly zone to train them to give them more capability, a regional force made up of regional armies with an American component to make sure we win...You've got to go in on the ground, and you need more than 50 people."

"I'm Trying To Test Candidates, As Well As Prove To You That I'm Best Qualified To Be President."

"I'm trying to test candidates, as well as prove to you that I'm best qualified to be president. I want to have a discussion with Donald Trump. He says let Russia fight ISIL. ISIL is a direct threat to our homeland. They make al Qaeda look like the Rotary Club. There's no way on Earth we should allow Russia to fight ISIL. They want to keep Assad in power. We need to destroy ISIL, because it's in our national security interest to do so. Withdrawing from Syria is a huge mistake. I want to have the discussion. What would you do differently in Syria than Obama? And be specific."

"Russia And Iran Have Won... Obama Has A Hands-Off Policy When It Comes To Assad."

"At a minimum, the [Assad] regime survives. So Russia and Iran have won. The Syrian people have lost. And we have lost. Russia and Iran will fight for Assad. Obama has a hands-off policy when it comes to Assad. The people we trained at the CIA have been bombed by the Russians. Their goal was to take Assad down. The Russian president killed the people we trained, and the response by our president is to say we're not going after Assad in the future...Russia and Iran will say who runs Syria. It may be Bob Assad rather than Bashar Assad, but they're in the driver's seat, because Obama's refusal to help the Syrians go after Assad, and Russia's insistence that he will stay in power. We have given Russia and Iran control over Syria. That's bad for us, because it means the war never ends."