South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham headlined a local Chamber of Commerce event at The Halligan Tavern in Derry Monday morning, where he told the roughly three dozen people in attendance that his presidential candidacy rides on earning the support of Granite State voters.
Graham compared that strategy to the one used by Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain, who came from behind to win the New Hampshire Republican primary in both 2000 and 2008.
“This is the only place left in American politics where a guy like Lindsey Graham and John McCain could possibly come back. He was fifth in a four-person race and you gave him a shot….God, I wish he was president,” Graham told voters.
Graham also spoke about his views on increasing the country’s military presence to combat radical Islam, his willingness to work across the aisle to fix immigration policy, and the need to rein in entitlement benefits.
The GOP presidential candidate also touched upon the recent controversy between him and opponent Donald Trump, who he says is distracting the Republican Party from more important issues.
“That’s not going to happen by just yelling at each other. That is not going to happen by a primary process that is turning into a joke. These are serious times, requiring serious decisions by a great nation,” Graham said.
Graham has visited New Hampshire 11 times this year. He and McCain are scheduled to campaign together in Littleton this weekend.
