Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham Graham, R-S.C., announced Sunday that he planned to vote to confirm Rex Tillerson, President Trump’s secretary of state nominee. Tillerson’s business ties to Russia, which stemmed from his tenure as the CEO of Exxon Mobil, had raised concerns among Democrats and hawkish Republicans like Graham and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
McCain also voiced his support of Tillerson’s confirmation on Sunday.
Meantime, Graham suggested Sunday that Trump’s focus on “America first” in his inaugural address left him confused about exactly what such an approach would look like.
“I don’t know what America first means,” Graham said during an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “If America first is a throwback to the 20s and 30s isolationism … the world will deteriorate even quicker.”
Graham said he would embrace Trump’s idea of America first if it reflected the “peace through strength” approach that characterized President Reagan’s foreign policy.
But the hawkish senator said he would support the idea of focusing primarily on America’s national interests “with caveats,” highlighting the dangers that have occurred when other countries have put their interests above the international order.
“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s national interest destabilized Europe,” Graham said. “So there’s a caveat to that.”
