Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., oft-rebuked as a "warmonger" having called for regime changes before, including Russia, praised President Donald Trump's "calm" and measured moves amid Israel's campaign to wipe out Iran's nuclear weapons aspirations.
"He's very focused, very calm," Graham reportedly told CNN in a personal readout of a call with Trump.
"I feel like when he says no nukes for Iran, he means it. He gave them a chance for diplomacy. I think they made a miscalculation when it comes to President Trump."
Graham has been criticized for pushing Trump to strike directly at Iran, potentially putting the world on the brink of World War III due to Iran's nuclear axis ties to Russia, China, and North Korea.
But Graham reportedly admitted Trump told him of "no timetable" for the U.S. getting directly involved in Israel's campaign against Iran and potentially Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
"The sooner we end this threat, the better for mankind," Graham told CNN.
Despite taking flak himself for allowing Israel's aggressive campaign, Trump has also stood firmly for his advisers against critics, noting that while he is calling for peace, the U.S. would not be a pacifist against the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism — one that is dangerously pursuing a nuclear weapon amid decades of supporting chants of "death to Israel" and "death to America."
"For those people who say they want peace — you can't have peace if Iran has a nuclear weapon," Trump said this weekend.
"So for all of those wonderful people who don't want to do anything about Iran having a nuclear weapon — that's not peace.
"I think we have done very well."
Trump remains adamant the Israel attacks on Iran would come to heel with a "unconditional surrender" of Iran's nuclear weapons-grade uranium enrichment program.
But, thus far, Iran has been defiant, testing Trump's patience and resolve, while he allows Israel to take the lead on dismantling the Iran's nuclear sites, taking military leaders and nuclear scientists.
Graham's fellow Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has called Iran's defiance of Trump a "giant middle finger" to the American president.
"Iran said they would not dismantle their advanced centrifuges: That was a giant middle finger to President Trump," Cruz told Newsmax last week.
Iran put out a statement, said they would not dismantle their centrifuges; they were going to build more; they were going to enrich more uranium, and they were charging towards a nuclear weapon — and the effect of that was a giant middle finger to President Trump," Cruz said.
"And it was also telling Israel, 'You had better strike now, because if you wait any longer, we will have a nuclear weapon, and we will use that to murder millions of your citizens.'
"And I think that's we're seeing the direct consequences of Iran's defiance and their genocidal desire to murder as many Israelis as possible."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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