Fox News "The Ingraham Angle" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Lindsey Graham

Interview

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INGRAHAM: And did you catch that? During a moment of silence for the Pittsburgh victims, these disgusting protesters heckled Senator Graham and Marsha Blackburn.

Senator Lindsey Graham joins us now. And senator, you say this paints a clear picture as to what's at stake in these midterms and why they're so important. I know you have been running yourself ragged going all over the country. And thanks for staying up with us tonight, but this is a very important time for this country. Explain why you think this is so critical at this juncture.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C.: Who do you want to run your government? The bottom line, what they did was rude and crude. It's the gift that keeps on giving to Republicans politically. This is not good for the country. If you want to reward this behavior, then you get a chance a week from tomorrow to do so. If you think this is inappropriate and wrong for the country, you can vote Republican.

I've tried to work across the aisle. I will keep trying to work across the aisle, but I've had it with this intimidation, in-your-face radical left. I want to shut them down, and the best way to shut them down is to beat them at the ballot box.

INGRAHAM: Senator Graham, there has been a drumbeat over the past few days since this horrific, dastardly, evil, satanic act took place at that synagogue. And we have a montage, I just want to share with you, of individuals on television trying to tag President Trump with it. Let's watch.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a problem, and we have a president who doesn't seem to believe he has a role to play in dealing with it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would put specific responsibility on the president. I think what he's done over the course of the last few years is help foment this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At the center, an unapologetically incendiary president untrammeled by traditional norms of civility.

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INGRAHAM: Your reaction?

GRAHAM: Again, they don't get it. I think when we win a week from tomorrow, and I think we will, I hope they understand that one of the reasons that we are doing so well as Republicans is people are disgusted with what you've just seen and heard. Nobody blamed Bernie Sanders when his supporter shot Steve Scalise, tried to kill a bunch of Republicans. Nothing Trump can do is right in the eyes of these people.

Trump is not responsible for this anti-Semitic hatemonger who will meet justice. That's not Donald Trump's fault. He didn't send anything through the mail. That's not his fault. It's not the left's fault when people do bad things in the name of the left. So the American people have had it with this. I've had it with it. Kavanaugh, the caravan, blaming Trump for everything under the sun.

If you want to change the way the country is going and you want to tell these people they've got it wrong, then vote a week from tomorrow for the Republican Party. The only way they're going to change is for them to lose. If you want Kavanaugh to mean anything and if you don't want any more Kavanaugh character assassinations, then you need to reject what they did and hand them the defeat they deserve. They want power so badly, the media is in the tank for them, and the only way they'll get it is for the American people to send a loud and clear signal that we're tired of you, tired of your tactics and blaming every Republican for everything.

INGRAHAM: Senator, very quickly, the 5,200 troops being called up to go to the border, I understand they're going to be putting reinforced razor wire on the border fence. Donald Trump reacted to this, but Bush tried National Guard and Obama tried National Guard. We spent like $1.4 billion, we didn't get much for it. Do you think this will be different this time?

GRAHAM: Name one person who has tried to solve immigration harder than I have. I've reached across the aisle, and I am offended by this caravan trying to overrun our country. We are a hospitable nation. They're taking advantage of our generosity. We need to send a clear signal to this caravan and every other caravan that America is not going to tolerate this. So President Trump is doing the right thing. To our friends in Mexico, if you don't help Trump stop this caravan you're going to pay a price in Congress when it comes to this trade deal.

INGRAHAM: Lindsey Graham, thank you so much. I know you stayed up for us. We really appreciate it.

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