Sen. Graham Seeks Fifth Term While Defending Role in Iran Military Action

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham filed for reelection Monday, defending his influence in pushing for military action against Iran. The longtime hawk says he's been in contact with President Trump and believes the conflict is necessary despite rising criticism.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — After more than thirty years in the nation’s capital, Senator Lindsey Graham has achieved his political goals: direct access to President Donald Trump, military engagement with Iran, and strong financial backing for his reelection bid in South Carolina.

The question now facing Republicans and Americans is what price these achievements will exact during an election year where Congressional control remains uncertain. The Middle East conflict has drawn widespread criticism with unclear objectives, while oil costs climb and hostilities expand across the region.

Graham, who submitted paperwork Monday for his fifth Senate term, expressed no reservations when addressing campaign supporters at his headquarters. The senator revealed he had conversations with Trump both Sunday evening and Monday morning while defending his role in advocating for military engagement.

“We haven’t underestimated Iran at all,” he said. “We’re crushing them.”

For over ten years, Graham has championed direct military confrontation between the United States and Tehran. He opposed the Iran nuclear agreement crafted during Barack Obama’s presidency, applauded Trump’s decision to target nuclear facilities last year, and brushed aside bipartisan concerns about his aggressive language.

“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,” Graham said Monday. “I’ll put my efforts to make sure the military has what they need to win the wars we’re in, ahead of anybody in the United States Senate.”

Graham typically encounters minimal opposition during reelection cycles, and this year appears no different. Nevertheless, the war’s outcome could influence midterm elections and define Graham’s reputation as one of Washington’s most vocal military advocates.

“You’re seeing essentially a child on Christmas morning who has gotten everything that he’s ever dreamed of,” said Jon Hoffman, a research fellow in defense and foreign policy with the Cato Institute, a libertarian leaning think tank. “And that’s not best for the country, obviously, but it’s best for Lindsey Graham’s ideology.”

Iran has remained Graham’s primary target for decades. During his House service in the 1990s, he supported measures designed to isolate the nation and restrict its missile and nuclear capabilities.

Following his 2002 Senate election as Iraq war preparations began, Graham consistently cautioned that Iran was exploiting the situation to strengthen its regional position.

In 2015 comments at the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, Graham expressed his desire for American forces to “stop them and make them pay a price so they’ll never want to do it again.”

“Let’s make sure that their air force, their navy and their army is a shell of its former self,” Graham said. “And let’s be ready to respond when they hit us.”

Graham’s hawkish foreign policy initially appeared incompatible with Trump’s “America First” philosophy, which questions overseas military involvement, and their partnership has varied over time. Nevertheless, they’ve developed a friendship through golf and shared support for decisive military operations.

This position has created tension among some Republicans.

“Lindsey hasn’t seen a fist fight he hasn’t wanted to turn into a bombing raid,” complained Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee when asked about Graham’s interest in expanding its bombing campaign to Lebanon.

During February, as Graham made numerous cable news appearances promoting military action, conservative opponents labeled him insensitive and worried about his sway over Trump.

“When did Lindsey Graham become our president?” Megyn Kelly, the former Fox News host, posted on social media.

“Let’s get real. The problem with Lindsay Graham isn’t (just) that he’s a homicidal maniac, it’s that Trump likes and is listening to him, and Trump’s favorite channel” — a reference to Fox News — “is parading him around like a Hefner bunny in stockings on every show,” she said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump “hears from lawmakers all the time on a number of issues” and he has “very good and candid” rapport with Graham.

“Republicans are supportive of President Trump’s bold decision to launch combat operations and end the threat posed by the Iranian terrorist regime,” Leavitt said in a statement.

Over the years, Graham has confronted and decisively beaten conservative primary opponents who questioned his South Carolina credentials, with detractors claiming he was too willing to compromise and work with Democrats on matters like immigration alongside his close friend, the late Arizona Republican Senator John McCain.

During campaign seasons, Graham typically highlights his conservative record. In 2020, while facing Democrat Jaime Harrison, Graham regularly reminded voters of his vigorous defense of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during confirmation proceedings.

Monday’s event saw Graham reinforce his backing of Trump’s Iran strikes, stating he believes “morale is high” within U.S. military ranks, and that returning him to Washington would help “give them what they need to win a war they can’t afford to lose.”

“I’m running for the Senate to build up a military and use it wisely. I’m running for the Senate to help President Trump, not standing in his way,” Graham said. “Do you think a Democratic candidate would help Trump do what he needs to do?”