Sen Lindsey Graham Sounds Off On Putin, Russia, Julian Assange, North Korea, the House Ethics Committee & More

In his first interview since coming back from his “typical John McCain CODEL” which included visiting 5 countries, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine and Georgia in 6 days, Senator Lindsey Graham spoke with Kilmeade about what he learned on this trip, what he is planning to do against Putin and Russia, why he is supporting Trump’s stance against North Korea and why he feels House republicans did the “dumbest friggin think I ever heard” by voting to gut the independent ethics committee.

Plus, Graham explained why he feels the Russian hacking did not influence the outcome of the election and why every American should be outraged over Julian Assange/WikiLeaks releasing classified emails from the Democratic National Committee.

Listen here:

Graham on what he learned on his 5 country trip to the Baltic’s and Ukraine and Georgia

(GRAHAM) Here is what we learned, that Russia is up to no good in the entire region, intimidating their neighbors and the lack of American leadership has been unnerving. That Obama’s policy of appeasement toward Iran and Russia and all things aggressive is really taking a toll on our allies and they are worried about what Trump is going to do.

Graham on why Russia hacking Democrat e-mails should not be political

(GRAHAM) It shouldn’t be political. What would we say as republicans if (Steve) Bannon’s e-mails were released to media outlets all over America before an election and the Iranians were behind it or the Chinese, we can’t let any country do this, it’s democrats today and republicans tomorrow. I am convinced, I have talked to the FBI, I have been briefed by them, there is no doubt in my mind that Russia did this in terms of hacking into Podesta’s e-mails, the DNC. They hacked into a vendor that serves my campaign account. They are doing this all over the world.

Graham on Julian Assange saying Russia is not the source of the hacking

(GRAHAM) I can tell your listeners 1000% based on what I have been told by the FBI that the Russians hacked into these systems. I don’t know who gave it to WikiLeaks, that’s why we are having hearings. I think its god to have hearings on what the Russians have done to our election but more importantly what they are doing all over the world. France and Germany are about to have elections, it not just about hacking into systems, they are funneling money to parties that want to break apart the European Union and NATO. Putin has a goal, to break the back of democracies.

Graham on introducing sanctions against Russia

(GRAHAM) I am going to introduce sanctions against Putin as an individual, against Russia government to hit them in their energy sector where they make all their money and banking, making it hard to do banking with Russia to punish them to the extent they need to be punished for destroying Syria, backing Assad, intimidating democracies on their border and trying to create upheaval throughout the world , not just hacking into Podesta’s e-mail. Every member of Congress is going to get the chance to vote as to whether or not you believe Putin should be hit harder. Obama should have done this years ago.

Graham on Trump Tweeting North Korea will not be able to attack America

(GRAHAM) I wish he wouldn’t tweet it. I wish when he gets to be president make it part of his foreign policy is to draw a red line an mean it. He did it through tweets, it is a red line, he needs to mean it. I can’t agree with him more….Donald Trump is right to tell the North Koreans we will do what is necessary to stop you from developing a missile from hitting the homeland so whatever he needs me to do to help him, I will help President Elect Trump stop North Korea, he is right to want to do so.

Graham on the House Republicans voting to gut the independent ethics committee

(GRAHAM) It’s the dumbest friggin thing I’ve ever heard. The first thing you do after getting a mandate from the American people is introduce detaining the ethics committee that is not the message the House needs to send to the American people. We should use our majority in the House and the Senate and having now the White House to reform the government, to make life better for the American people, cut their taxes, deregulate our government and go on the offense against Iran, Putin, China and North Korea, have a bold foreign policy that does more than just talk about destroying ISIL, that rebuilds our military. It was a dumb move by the House, I hope they’ll change it and President-elect Trump was right to call them out.