Former 2016 hopeful Lindsey Graham criticized Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz late Tuesday. The war hawk bashed Cruz’s strategy to defeat the Islamic State, which does not include sending ground troops to the Middle East.
“With all due respect to Sen. Cruz, you are not going to destroy ISIL by carpet bombing them,” Graham told Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren. “The only way you are going to destroy ISIL is to get a ground component — an army — go in on the ground and kill these guys before they attack us here. How many more attacks do we have to suffer before we understand we’re not winning?”
The South Carolina senator’s disagreement comes less than a week after he said he would support the Tea Party Texan over the other two remaining candidates in the GOP race. Despite endorsing Cruz, Graham remains vigilant about defeating the terrorist group with an army comprised 90 percent of regional forces and 10 percent American troops.
“I like Ted. I think he is a better alternative to Trump. He is a real Republican and I think he understands the threat better than Trump. But did you hear from anybody a game plan to destroy ISIL? I know exactly where they are. I know exactly how many there are of them. I know what they are up to,” Graham added.
Graham has had a history of personal and policy attacks against Cruz. While on the Larry Kudlow Show in December, he claimed Cruz’s recommendation of keeping Assad in power was the “dumbest idea possible” because it would ensure “that another 9/11 happens.”
