President Barack Obama has become "the king of indecision" whose policies are failing around the globe, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham claimed Sunday morning, complaining that the president's policy of "leading from behind is not working."
Graham, appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," told host David Gregory that Secretary of State John Kerry's statements earlier on the same show were "the most ridiculous and delusional summary of American foreign policy that I can imagine," and that it "scares" him that Kerry believes the country's policies are in such good shape.
Urgent: Don't Underestimate Your Risk for Heart Disease. Free Online Test Now
Story continues below.
Kerry, who also appeared on all the other networks' talk shows Sunday morning, commented to Gregory that Obama is facing a problem with "a bunch of critics who want to jump to conclusions without looking at the facts," and that the "United States of America has never been more engaged in helping to lead in more places than we are now."
He also told Gregory that people in other countries worried that the United States may leave their countries, not wanting the United States to leave.
"The fact is that every fundamental issue of conflict today, the United States is in the center leading and trying to find an effort to make peace where peace is very difficult," Kerry commented. "I think the American people ought to be proud in terms of what this president has done in terms of peaceful, diplomatic engagement rather than quick trigger, deploying troops, starting or engaging in a war of choice."
But when it comes to Russia, its actions in Ukraine, and its suspected connection with the missile takedown by rebels' last week of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, along with the issues in the Middle East and other conflicts around the world, "indecision reigns," Graham told Gregory.
"President Obama is trying to be deliberative. It comes off as indecisive," Graham said. "He's trying to be thoughtful. It comes off as weakness. I'm suggesting sanctions that go after [Russian President Vladimir] Putin individually, the energy sector in Russia, the banking sector in Russia."
Graham also called for the United States to arm Ukraine so it can defend itself, and suggests putting in more NATO troops.
Further, he called for the United States to "rebuild missile defense systems Obama took down to let Putin know the path of least resistance is not to continue to dismember Ukraine."
Graham also lambasted Kerry for not calling Putin "the thug that he is" while discussing military evidence in the downing of a Malaysian jetliner that points to pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine using a missile system that came from Russia.
"He didn't call for arming the Ukraine so they can defend themselves against rebel separatists supported by Russia," said Graham.
In other discussion Sunday, Graham spoke on behalf of Israel in connection with its ongoing hostilities in dealing with Hamas fighters in the Gaza region.
"My view of the Israeli operation, stay as long as you need to stay," said Graham. "It's not the number of casualties that determines the moral outcome here … if I were Israel, I would stay in Gaza as long as I needed to to stop the rockets for good."
If it were up to Hamas, said Graham, "thousands of Israelis would be dead."
Meanwhile, all of the enemies of the United States are being well supplied, Graham pointed out.
Russia and Iran are helping Syria, and that country has "become a safe haven for terrorists to attack our nation," said Graham.
The South Carolina Republican also blamed Obama for the current immigration crisis, and that money won't be approved to alleviate the problem without changes to a 2008 law that forbids children from being immediately deported unless they have come to the United States from Mexico or Canada.
But Graham is concerned that if the "Republican Party doesn't get immigration reform right in 2015," through House-led legislation, the party's chances are very low of winning the White House back in 2016.
Vote Now: Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama's Job Performance?
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.