BREAKING: Lindsey Graham Suspends Presidential Campaign
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) became the latest candidate to drop out of the Republican presidential race Monday morning.
In a video released to the senator’s official YouTube channel, he opened with a message of thanks to those who supported his candidacy.
“I want to thank everyone who has taken this journey with me. You have honored me with your support,” he said. “I’m going to suspend my campaign. I’m not going to suspend my desire to help the country. I’ve hit a wall here.”
Graham said he got involved in the race over national security issues. He then took credit for changing the candidates’ strategy proposals for dealing with ISIS, most notably, the need for ground troops in dealing with the newest threat in the Middle East.
“I got into this race to put forward a plan to win a war that we cannot afford to lose, and to turn back the tide of isolationism that was rising in our party,” he said. “I believe we’ve made enormous progress in this effort.”
Two new polls out of his home state, which votes third in the presidential nominating process, showed his support had dropped to ninth place in the crowded GOP field. His current Real Clear Politics polling average is 1.7 percent in South Carolina.
Graham did not endorse another candidate in his statement.
