TAMPA, Florida — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) should have never been in Ukraine, the senator’s primary challenger, former South Carolina Lt. Gov. André Bauer, told Breitbart News during an appearance at the Turning Point Student Action Summit over the weekend.
Bauer told Breitbart News that South Carolinians “never see him” in the state.
“He’s probably been to Ukraine more than he’s probably been to Union South Carolina in the last 30 years. And we just we want to see our effort of our senator in our home state, in our home country. We want to see a border that’s actually protected,” he explained.
Breitbart News asked Bauer for his reaction — and that of the voters — when Graham traveled to Ukraine in May after the heated White House meeting with President Donald Trump.
“It’s a dereliction of duty,” Bauer asserted. “He should have never been over there. He’s not the one that’s supposed to do that job. I think he wants to be Secretary of State.”
“Somebody’s forgotten to tell him, over these 30 years, you’re a United States Senator. That’s not your job. The President had it under control. He said he was working it out. And the next day, him, and of course, one of the most liberal senators outside of him, Blumenthal, they go over, have a press conference, and the next thing you know, we’re bombing again, and we’re paying for those bombs,” Bauer explained, noting that he wants to do “everything we can diplomatic in trying to solve these problems around the world.”
“Just like the surgical strike that the President did [in Iran]. That was flawless. No American lives cost. Right in and right out. But you know, it’s — the jets weren’t even cool on those engines. Lindsey Graham was on the floor of the United States Senate with charts asking for regime change,” Bauer said.
“He said… our soldiers would be willing to risk their lives for regime change in Iran,” Bauer continued, making it clear that he disagrees with Graham “adamantly.”
“Our soldiers are tired of going to fight these regime changes. They, quite frankly, haven’t worked out so well. They’ve actually ended up being worse than the regime that was there before. And we’ve continued to do this, and it has not worked, and he continues to push for this,” Bauer said.
He emphasized that he is “not a globalist” but rather someone who truly believes in the America first agenda. “That means taking care of your home base,” he added.
WATCH the full interview below:
