senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Angry at NBC’s question Christine Welker About the President donald trump The “plan” — or lack thereof — against Iran.
started a tense feud on the NBC show Meet the media On Sunday, Welker asked the South Carolina senator: “Is the United States at war with Iran?”
While not ready to celebrate victory, Graham said Iran was “close to collapse.”
“I think the ayatollah would say yes,” Graham said. “I don’t know if this is technically a war, but what I can say is the headlines on Sunday. The mother ship of terrorism is sinking and the captain is dead. Iran, the largest sponsor of terrorism, is about to collapse.”
Welker then raised the question of who would be responsible for replacing Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei – were killed in Saturday’s attack.
“Will the United States elect Iran’s next leader, or will the Iranian people elect its next leader?”
“No,” Graham said. He added, “There will be no American boots on the ground. This is not Iraq, this is not Germany, this is not Japan. We are going to liberate the people from the clutches of a regime of terror. Our goal is not only to help the Iranian people chart a new destiny, to ensure that whoever takes over Iran, whoever it is, whoever the people choose, they cannot be the biggest sponsor of terrorism. They cannot fuel Hezbollah, the Houthis and Hamas. They cannot have ballistic missiles, they cannot have nuclear weapons, so people will choose.”
Welker pressed for details.
“Senator, history teaches us how complex regime change is,” Welker said. “We saw this when Saddam Hussein was ousted, when there were terrorist threats and when terrorist groups invaded. How will the United States ensure that the next Iranian government is not worse than the current regime?”
“It’s not our job to choose the next Iranian government,” Graham said. “You know, I don’t recall being attacked by Iraq in the past. Iraq is complex, but you know, we have a relationship with Iraq. It’s up to Iran to choose your leaders. That’s not my job, and it’s not President Trump’s job. We’re not going to occupy this country. We’re going to give the Iranian people a chance to do something they’ve never had before: chart their own destiny.”
The “Meet the Press” host cited comments from Trump, who said in a post on The Truth Society on Saturday that he “hopes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and police can peacefully merge with Iranian patriots and work together as one to restore the country to its rightful greatness.”
“Is hope the future plan for Iran?” Welker asked.
“No,” Graham said. “Iran’s future will be determined by the Iranian people. The new Iran, whatever it is, whether it is a clerical state or a representative democracy, our goal is to ensure that it does not become the largest state sponsor of terrorism again. That is our victory and it is a victory for the region.”
“But is there a plan to make sure that happens, Senator?” Welker said. “Is there a plan? Does the president have a plan to make sure this happens?”
“No, it’s not his job, and it’s not my job!” Graham said — clashing with Welker. “How many times do I have to tell you?! Our job is to make sure that Iran is no longer the largest state sponsor of terrorism, to help the people rebuild a new government, to not have anyone stationed on the ground. You know this idea, ‘You break it, you own it?’ I don’t buy that at all.”
Watch it above, from NBC.
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