Military action with North Korea is most likely not imminent, but at the same time, the United States is "on a collision course" with the Asian country, as President Donald Trump "inherited a mess," Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday.
"I'm very pleased that Donald Trump has different rhetoric and different policies towards North Korea," Graham told "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace. "His policy is don't allow the North Koreans to hit the home run. That is the right policy."
Further, he said he thinks that Trump's tough talk against North Korea is "absolutely the right rhetoric," as the talk and actions of past presidential administrations have not worked.
"I have President Trump's back on this," said Graham. "It would be insane to talk the same and act the same as you have for the last 20 years. You will get more of the same."
Graham said he understands what Trump is trying to tell North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and "more importantly, so do the Chinese."
Further, Graham said he hopes the next time Chinese President Xi Jinping lectures Trump on how he is talking about North Korea, Trump will remind Xi that China is "100 percent" responsible for its neighbor's actions and current state.
"Without China's help and empowerment there would be no nuclear North Korea," said Graham. "It's now time to take the gloves off in terms of how we will deal with the threat to the homeland."
Graham said he is "100 percent certain" that Trump will use military force as a last resort to stop North Korea from developing a missile to hit the American homeland.
The senator also discussed Trump's talk of possibly using military intervention in Venezuela in response to that country's poltiical unrest.
"I have no idea why we would use military force in Venezuela," Graham said, describing himself as a "pretty hawkish guy."
"I know if we don't send more troops to Afghanistan it will fail and every soldier in Afghanistan is an insurance policy against 9/11," he said. "I know why we have troops in Iraq. I know why we have troops in South Korea and Europe to protect us against threats like North Korea and Russian expansion. If I have no idea why we would use military force in Venezuela."
He said he's "open-minded" to hear a reason, but still, he believes that the military should only be deployed when there is a national security interest for the United States, but he does not see that in the case of Venezuela.
The senator also discussed Trump's attacks on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, telling Wallace that the Kentucky Republican's job as the chamber's leader is not in any trouble.
"We all like McConnell much, we believe he's a good solid leader," said Graham, although he does not mind Trump being angry over the Senate's failure to repeal Obamacare.
"At the end of the day, if we don't deliver in repeal and replace an Obamacare we will all be in trouble, including the president," said Graham.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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