Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) defended President Donald Trump&#8217;s recent decision to suspend security clearances at several law firms that were involved in law fare against him over the last several years.
Graham made the remarks during a Sunday interview on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face The Nation&#8221; with Margaret Brennan when asked if he supported Trump&#8217;s actions.
&#8220;Yes, I think all of these things — I think [special counsel] Jack Smith was politically motivated,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think the Russian hoax — a lot of people should have gone to jail, and they didn&#8217;t. I think the idea that President Trump was an agent of Russia was manufactured.&#8221;
He said that the president was well within his legal right to strip the security clearances and that it was good for the legal system that Trump was doing this.
&#8220;Well, private business aided government power in a fashion to destroy Donald Trump&#8217;s life,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You know, on our side, nobody in your world gets it, but our people believe that the Justice Department was used as a weapon to destroy Trump&#8217;s campaign and his business interests and to ruin his family.&#8221;
&#8220;That they made up bogus charges and they proceeded in a fashion that was designed to destroy him politically and personally. I believe that,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And if these people involved pay a price, they got nobody but themselves to blame. That&#8217;s what I believe.&#8221;
Graham said that the law firms were pushing legal theories that were &#8220;designed for political outcomes more than legal outcomes.&#8221;
&#8220;And Jack Smith using the power of government, incorporating these law firms, in my view, were trying to disrupt and take down the Republican nominee for president,&#8221; he added. &#8220;That this was an orchestrated effort and Biden only regretted they didn&#8217;t do it sooner. So, it was politically motivated. And everybody with their fingerprints on it, I hope they pay a price.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Sen. Lindsey Graham rebukes lawyers who defended Trump foes: &quot;I hope they pay a price&quot;" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WDcLt5G9HzY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Miitary Aid to Israel

Lindsey Graham Defends Trump Stripping Security Clearances Of Law Firms Behind Attacks On Him

Donald Trump

Face The Nation

Lindsey Graham

Media

Politics

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on Friday that he has never been more proud of President Donald Trump as he was when the president stood up to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky during their meeting in the Oval Office earlier in the day.
Graham made the remarks standing outside the White House after Trump canceled the remaining events with Zelensky following the spat between the world leaders, which played out on live television.
Graham said that he told Zelensky earlier in the morning to not take the bait during the meeting and that he thought what happened was a &#8220;complete and utter disaster.&#8221;
&#8220;I have never been more proud of the president,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We want to be helpful. What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful, and I don&#8217;t know if we can ever do business with Zelensky again. I don&#8217;t think most Americans saw a guy that they would not want to go in business with the way he handled the meeting, the way he confronted the president was just over the top.&#8221;
&#8220;So I think the relationship between Ukraine and America is important, vitally important, but can Zelensky do a deal with the United States after what I saw?&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know.&#8221;
Graham said that he thought Zelensky either needed to &#8220;resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Senator <a href="https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LindseyGrahamSC</a>: &#8220;I have NEVER been more proud of the President. I was very proud of JD Vance, standing up for our country&#8230; What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful&#8230;&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/HzKgW09fOP">pic.twitter.com/HzKgW09fOP</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1895562247570931834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2025</a></blockquote>

Sen. Graham Speaks To Reporters Outside The White House

Lindsey Graham On Trump-Zelensky Meeting: ‘I Have Never Been More Proud Of The President’

Global Politics

Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky

Republicans in the Senate <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-border-budget-triumphs-after-all-night-session-while-trump-backed-house-bill-lags">passed a $340 billion budget resolution</a> in the early hours of Friday morning, a narrower resolution than the broad-based bill House Republicans are preparing, but still one that pleased President Donald Trump after an all-night session.
The bill, which passed 52-48, focuses on three issues: immigration and border security, defense, and shoring up development of fossil fuels. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was the only Republican to vote against the measure, joining all of the Senate Democrats in opposition. Other issues that the House wants to include, such as tax cuts, the Senate plans to add later, figuring that if the House — where the GOP holds a slim 218-215 majority — cannot agree on extending Trump’s tax cuts the three issues will be addressed immediately.
“This particular budget resolution… addresses the president’s priority, top priority, which is securing the border and implementing and putting in place his immigration policies, rebuilding our military, and creating energy dominance for this country,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said before the vote was taken.
Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham (R-SC) <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/21/senate-passes-republican-border-security-bill/79409346007/">stated</a> after the bill passed, &#8220;As Senate Budget Committee Chairman, I’m incredibly pleased by the discipline shown by my Senate Republican colleagues to ensure that the most transformational border security bill in history can soon become a reality. I hope we can get one big, beautiful bill in the House, but we need to act on border security and national security now. We&#8217;re running out of time.”
<a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://dailywire.com/subscribe" data-sk="tooltip_parent">PRESIDENTS’ DAY SALE! 40% Off DailyWire+ Annual Memberships With Code DW40</a>
“Nothing would please me more than Speaker Johnson being able to put together the bill that President Trump wants,” Graham <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/senate-democrats-use-budget-vote-to-make-republicans-squirm-8937a656">added</a>. “But I cannot sit on the sidelines and not have a Plan B. This nation is under threat—the illegal immigrants who have come here by the millions need to be sent back by the millions.”
Trump had approved the House bill earlier this week, but he praised the Senate GOP, saying on Truth Social, “Thank you to Majority Leader John Thune, and the Republican Senate, for working so hard on funding the Trump Border Agenda. We are setting records, the likes of which have never been seen before, on stopping criminal illegal aliens from entering our Country. Put simply, we are delivering for the American People, far faster and, more successfully, than anyone thought possible. Your work on funding this effort is greatly appreciated!”
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/one-big-beautiful-bill-trump-endorses-house-budget-plan-over-the-lindsey-graham-version">&#8216;One Big Beautiful Bill&#8217;: Trump Endorses House Budget Plan Over &#8216;The Lindsey Graham Version&#8217;</a>

Senators Hold Weekly Policy Luncheons At The Capitol

Senate Passes Late-Night Budget Bill Focused On Border, Defense Spending

border security

Budget

Congress

Department of Defense

John Thune

Senate GOP

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump spurned a Senate budget reconciliation plan that leaves some of his domestic priorities for a second measure in favor of a heftier spending bill from the House that embraces his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/one-big-beautiful-bill-speaker-johnson-draws-out-budget-reconciliation-plan-for-trump-2-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;one big, beautiful bill&#8221;</a> preference.
&#8220;The House and Senate are doing a SPECTACULAR job of working together as one unified, and unbeatable, TEAM, however, unlike the Lindsey Graham version of the very important Legislation currently being discussed, the House Resolution implements my FULL America First Agenda, EVERYTHING, not just parts of it!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114031015354735395" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to Truth Social. &#8220;We need both Chambers to pass the House Budget to &#8216;kickstart&#8217; the Reconciliation process, and move all of our priorities to the concept of, &#8216;ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL.&#8217; It will, without question, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!&#8221;
On Tuesday, the Senate began consideration of a $340 billion <a href="https://www.budget.senate.gov/chairman/newsroom/press/chairman-graham-unveils-fy-2025-budget-resolution-to-secure-the-border-revitalize-our-military-unleash-american-energy-production-and-begin-the-process-of-restoring-fiscal-sanity">package</a> championed by Budget Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) that seeks to authorize funds for Trump&#8217;s border security, energy, and military priorities while setting aside tax cuts for a second bill. House Republicans proceeded with a <a href="https://budget.house.gov/press-release/what-they-are-saying-president-trump-endorses-house-budget-resolution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolution</a> that deals with spending in addition to calling for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and raising the debt limit by $4 trillion. It also sets the goal of reducing mandatory spending by $2 trillion. Both chambers of Congress are narrowly under GOP control, meaning Republicans will have to stay largely unified in the face of Democrat opposition to pass a budget measure, whatever it is in the end.
In a <a href="https://x.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1891959294096204268" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> to X on Tuesday, Graham said the Senate budget plan &#8220;sets in motion full funding&#8221; Trump&#8217;s border security agenda and provides $150 billion in new spending for strengthening the United States military. &#8220;OMB Director [Russ] Vought and Border Czar [Tom] Homan told Senate Republicans that ICE is running out of money,&#8221; Graham added. &#8220;We’ve got to keep our foot on the gas. Build the wall, deport illegal aliens, and create additional detention space so we don’t have to release illegal immigrants into the community. And God knows the military needs more money in these dangerous times. Taking up the budget resolution this week now puts us one step closer to the most transformational border security bill in history. Time is of the essence.&#8221;
The budget reconciliation process is an &#8220;expedited process for considering bills that would implement policies embodied in a Congressional budget resolution,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/topics/budget/reconciliation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Congressional Budget Office. It has been used to pass various laws over the past few decades, such as the 2017 tax law, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The Senate requires only a simple majority — or 51 votes — to pass a budget reconciliation bill, bypassing the three-fifths majority threshold needed to overcome a filibuster. Currently, the Senate GOP has a 53-47 majority.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) joined with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), and Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-MI) in a joint <a href="https://budget.house.gov/press-release/what-they-are-saying-president-trump-endorses-house-budget-resolution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that noted how the House budget resolution already passed through committee. The House GOP leaders alluded to how their plan aims to quickly extend tax cuts from the 2017 law set to expire at the end of the year.
&#8220;House Republicans have now cleared a critical hurdle to delivering on the major priorities of President Trump’s America First agenda. From the outset of this process, we sought to ensure participation from every member of our conference and make clear that this resolution reflects our collective commitment to enacting the President’s full agenda – not just a part of it,&#8221; they said. “This is the start of the process, and we remain laser-focused on ultimately sending a bill to President Trump’s desk which, among other things, secures the border, keeps taxes low for families and job creators, restores American energy dominance, and makes government work better for all Americans.”

President Trump Speaks At The House GOP Conference In Doral, Florida

‘One Big Beautiful Bill’: Trump Endorses House Budget Plan Over ‘The Lindsey Graham Version’

Executive

Spending Bill

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

The GOP-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> are pressing ahead with tax and budget legislation to implement President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>&#8216;s second-term agenda.
The Senate is going with a two-step approach, with one focused on certain priorities such as border security, and the second dealing with tax break extensions, according to the <a href="https://www.kktv.com/2025/02/07/house-gop-rushing-produce-trumps-big-budget-bill-with-tax-cuts-program-cuts-other-promises/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>.
Senate Budget Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) <a href="https://www.budget.senate.gov/hearings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scheduled</a> meetings this week to consider what is <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2025-02-09/us-house-speaker-to-pursue-one-big-bill-on-trumps-tax-agenda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> to be a $340 billion <a href="https://www.budget.senate.gov/chairman/newsroom/press/chairman-graham-unveils-fy-2025-budget-resolution-to-secure-the-border-revitalize-our-military-unleash-american-energy-production-and-begin-the-process-of-restoring-fiscal-sanity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plan</a>, which also tackles energy, the military, and spending.
Lawmakers plan to use the budget reconciliation process, which in the Senate requires only 51 votes to pass rather than 60, giving the GOP more breathing room with its 53-47 majority.
Before taking office, Trump <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/speaker-johnsons-push-pass-trumps-agenda-one-massive-bill-faces-big-hu-rcna186399" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he wanted &#8220;one big, beautiful bill,&#8221; but a week after his inauguration, he <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/one-bill-two-bills-i-dont-care-trump-promises-get-large-reconciliation-bill-passed-either-way" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> that he did not care if it ended up being split into two.
However, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is vying for a single bill, arguing on &#8220;Fox News Sunday&#8221; that it &#8220;gives us the highest probability of success of delivering&#8221; Trump&#8217;s campaign promises.
Johnson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkyf7-mOxME" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> anchor Shannon Bream there would be a budget markup this week, though he conceded that dealing with the GOP&#8217;s slim majority might take some time.
&#8220;I’ve got to make sure everyone agrees before we bring the project forward — that final product — and we&#8217;ve got a few more boxes to check, but we&#8217;re getting very, very close,&#8221; Johnson said.
In a post to X, Graham <a href="https://x.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1887958553580675538" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he hopes the House can &#8220;find a way forward on a bigger budget reconciliation bill&#8221; but stressed that the Senate &#8220;cannot allow&#8221; the moment to pass.
During a meeting at the White House last week, Trump laid out his administration&#8217;s &#8220;tax priorities&#8221; to House Republicans, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karoline-leavitt-reveals-trump-admins-massive-tax-cut-priorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told reporters</a>.
Leavitt listed them, including Trump&#8217;s proposals for no tax on tips, no tax on seniors&#8217; Social Security, no tax on overtime pay, and renewing the 2017 middle-class tax cuts.
She also mentioned adjusting the SALT deduction cap, eliminating tax breaks for billionaire sports team owners, closing the carried interest loophole, and tax cuts for products made in America.
&#8220;This will be the largest tax cut in history for middle-class working Americans,” Leavitt said. &#8220;The president is committed to working with Congress to get this done.&#8221;

Two Ways About It: House And Senate Chart Different Paths For Trump Budget Priorities And Tax Cuts

House of Representatives

Mike Johnson

Taxes

U.S.

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lindsey-graham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lindsey Graham</a> (R-SC) said over the weekend that the U.S. needs to be ready to support Israel if it decides that it is time to eliminate Iran&#8217;s nuclear program.
Graham made the remarks on &#8220;Fox News Sunday&#8221; as the Islamic regime continues to inch closer to acquiring a nuclear weapon.
&#8220;We&#8217;re trying to define the world in which we live in accurately,&#8221; Graham said. &#8220;Senator Fetterman has been a champion for the State of Israel.&#8221;
&#8220;I went to him and asked him, would you work with me to do a census Senate resolution saying that over decades, Iran has been trying to acquire a nuclear weapon, not a nuclear power plant, that they&#8217;re the largest state sponsor of terrorism, that they would blow Israel off the map if they had a nuclear weapon, that they would come after us?&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And he said, I would be glad to.&#8221;
&#8220;So what this resolution does, it lays out the case against Iran&#8217;s nuclear ambition,&#8221; Graham said. &#8220;Bibi and the Israelis are going to have to make a decision relatively soon what to do about the Iran nuclear program.&#8221;
&#8220;This is not an authorization to use force, but I am here to tell you and the audience and the world that I think America should support an effort by Israel if they decide to decimate the Iranian nuclear program, because I think it&#8217;s a threat to mankind,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
America should unequivocally support Israel if they decide to decimate the Iranian regime’s nuclear program.
If the ayatollah were to obtain a nuclear weapon, it would be a threat to mankind. All options should be on the table to prevent that. <a href="https://t.co/fqFQKB7OsM">pic.twitter.com/fqFQKB7OsM</a>
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1886117128060948976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2025</a></blockquote>

Donald Trump And Joe Biden Participate In First Presidential Debate

Lindsey Graham: U.S. Needs To Support Israel If It Decides To Strike Iran Nuclear Facilities

Iran

Israel

John Fetterman

Nuclear Weapons

World

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lindsey-graham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lindsey Graham</a> (R-SC) said over the weekend that President-elect Donald Trump plans to implement a $100 billion agenda to secure the U.S. border and deport illegal aliens in the United States.
Graham made the remarks during a Sunday interview on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face The Nation&#8221; with Margaret Brennan when asked about Trump&#8217;s border agenda.
&#8220;Do you have a top line number yet on how much this is all going to cost?&#8221; Brennan asked.
&#8220;Yes, $100 billion for border security through reconciliation would be enough to hire ICE agents, create new detention beds, and finish the wall and put technology in place over four years,&#8221; Graham said. &#8220;$200 billion will be given to the military to make it more capable of deterring China. $100 billion for border. $200 billion for the military.&#8221;
&#8220;I met with Mike Johnson yesterday,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;He has a political problem in the House. He wants to do one big, beautiful bill. I have never been more worried about an attack on our homeland than I am now with the rise of ISIS in Afghanistan and wars all over the world. I think the number one priority for the Republican Party should be to secure that border. You need new money to do it. And if we don&#8217;t, we&#8217;re playing Russian roulette with our own national security.&#8221;
&#8220;You need to secure that border like our life depended on it,&#8221; he added. 
<a href="https://store.dailywire.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoo-O6e3kIAbk33d8_pN9WQPMDhQnZJQqGPSWLwTl-kA6z3RiP1a"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-861629" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/INAUG_MERCHBANNER-2-1024x391.png" alt="" width="1024" height="391" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/INAUG_MERCHBANNER-2-1024x391.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/INAUG_MERCHBANNER-2-300x115.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/INAUG_MERCHBANNER-2-768x293.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/INAUG_MERCHBANNER-2-1536x587.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/INAUG_MERCHBANNER-2-2048x782.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?_gl=1*1lail3r*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MzIyMDEyNDkuQ2owS0NRaUEwZnU1QmhEUUFSSXNBTVhVQk9JSkM0VnNsMFVreURxYXUxVWVEVWdOdjZkNzR2Y1pEeEZQeHVBcGl2R3BLaTdBMjVzT1p5TWFBdG1nRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*NDUxNDQ0NzYwLjE3MzY3ODI2NDY.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczNjk1NzYwMy4zNDAuMS4xNzM2OTU3NzE2LjYwLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?_gl%3D1*1lail3r*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MzIyMDEyNDkuQ2owS0NRaUEwZnU1QmhEUUFSSXNBTVhVQk9JSkM0VnNsMFVreURxYXUxVWVEVWdOdjZkNzR2Y1pEeEZQeHVBcGl2R3BLaTdBMjVzT1p5TWFBdG1nRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*NDUxNDQ0NzYwLjE3MzY3ODI2NDY.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczNjk1NzYwMy4zNDAuMS4xNzM2OTU3NzE2LjYwLjAuMA..&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1737044212122000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3mp2MZNwEXBk00lKmCtOss">CELEBRATE #47 WITH 47% OFF DAILYWIRE+ MEMBERSHIPS + A FREE $20 GIFT</a>
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Sen. Lindsey Graham says he is &quot;ready to vote for Kash Patel&quot; for FBI director" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T25onZAaJEw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Sen. Lindsey Graham

Lindsey Graham Reveals Staggering Investment Trump Preparing To Make On Securing Border

Border Crisis

Illegal Immigration

Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Johnson</a> (R-LA) said on Sunday that he wants the House to pass one hefty budget reconciliation bill to realize President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>&#8216;s policy agenda during the early months of his second term, dealing with a broad range of issues such as border security, tax cut extensions, the U.S. economy, and energy.
In an interview on &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures,&#8221; Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo noted that new Senate Budget Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has been pushing for splitting the legislation into two reconciliation bills and asked Johnson what Trump prefers.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Speaker Johnson Joins Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YctBNeFHquk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&#8220;Yes, he and I have talked about this quite a bit, as you might imagine, over the last few months, determining the pros and cons of the two different strategies,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;I respect Lindsey Graham and all my friends who kind of preferred a two-step strategy. The idea would be: get something done on the border and maybe defense spending right out of the blocks very quickly in what we would call a skinny reconciliation bill, and then do the rest of it in a larger chunk later.&#8221;
Johnson, who huddled with colleagues over the weekend at Fort McNair to discuss the plan, said he thought &#8220;at the end of the day, President Trump is going to prefer, as he likes to say, &#8216;one big, beautiful bill.&#8217; And there&#8217;s a lot of merit to that, because we can put it all together, one big up-or-down vote, which can save the country, quite literally, because there are so many elements to it. And it&#8217;ll give us a little bit more time to negotiate that and get it right.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/with-snow-blast-imminent-speaker-johnson-says-we-cannot-delay-certification-of-trumps-victory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RELATED: With Snow Blast Imminent, Speaker Johnson Says ‘We Cannot Delay’ Certification Of Trump’s Victory</a>
The speaker insisted the plan for reconciliation does not mean &#8220;we won&#8217;t come right out of the gates full-fledged right out of the beginning of the Congress.&#8221; The House will be &#8220;addressing the border&#8221; over the next couple weeks with fixes that are &#8220;so commonsense&#8221; that some Democrats may support them, Johnsons noted, adding that those bills could be ready for Trump to sign when he takes office on January 20.
As for the reconciliation bill itself, the legislation will &#8220;have a lot of pieces,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;We made a lot of campaign promises. President Trump did as well, and reconciliation is the way to get it done. Why? Because you avoid a 60-vote threshold in the Senate.&#8221;
Johnson then alluded to <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL30458" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a two-step process</a> in which putting together a budget resolution would precede the House and Senate actually considering the reconciliation legislation.
&#8220;Reconciling the budget, which we will pass in early February, is how we will get all of our committees involved, committees of jurisdiction all these big issues. What are they? Well, obviously, we have to secure the border. We have got to make sure that our Border Patrol agents and our immigration enforcement agencies have the right directives from the White House, but also the right resources to do their job and secure that border once and for all,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;We have got to take care of the dangerous illegal criminals who have come over, and all that&#8217;s part of it as well. And we have got to shift immediately to the economy. Maria, you know, you talk about every day, we have got to revive the U.S. economy, and we can. We know how to do it,&#8221; Johnson continued. &#8220;Part of that is preventing the largest tax increase in U.S. history, which would happen automatically at the end of next year if we don&#8217;t get our ducks in a row. So we&#8217;re going to make sure that happens. We&#8217;re going to incentivize American companies to manufacture in the U.S. again. And we&#8217;re going to make sure that the regulatory burden and the red tape that has smothered our free market is reduced and eliminated.&#8221;
Johnson said &#8220;we&#8217;re going to be dismantling the deep state all along the way. We&#8217;re going to restore American energy dominance, so many different pieces to this, Maria. They all have to work together. And, of course, the president has asked us and really needs us to address the debt limit crisis before that hits in June. So, a lot of moving pieces, a lot of things to negotiate, a lot of opinions on all that, so we will be working long, long hours with whiteboards, making sure every Republican is on board, because, remember, I will be dealing with the smallest margin in U.S. history for much of the first 100 days. But we&#8217;re going to get it done.&#8221;
Bartiromo asked Johnson if he is expecting to raise or eliminate the debt ceiling as part of the reconciliation legislation.
&#8220;I think we&#8217;re going to have to do it in that bill. And the reason for that, Maria, is that we won&#8217;t have to negotiate with [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer and the Democrats on that,&#8221; the speaker replied. &#8220;If you do it in reconciliation, you can do it just with the Republican Party. So we will have very thoughtful discussion and debate about where that limit should go. But here&#8217;s the important thing everybody needs to remember. We&#8217;re the team that wants to cut spending, and we will. And we will do it dramatically, all the wasteful spending in government. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-government-efficiency-doge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DOGE</a> will be doing its effort in coordination with all this. But you have to raise the debt limit on paper, so that we don&#8217;t frighten the bond markets and the world&#8217;s economy. You know how that works. It&#8217;s about the stability of our economy. But we don&#8217;t intend to spend to that limit, as President Trump will clarify all the time. We&#8217;re going to raise the ceiling, but we are going to be cutting all along the way, so we can do both of those things simultaneously.&#8221;
Bartiromo also pressed Johnson on &#8220;what&#8217;s a realistic timeline&#8221; for getting the legislative package advanced through Congress and on Trump&#8217;s desk. &#8220;Would you have that on the president&#8217;s desk by May?&#8221; she asked.
&#8220;Certainly by May, yes,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;In fact, we&#8217;re targeting a vote in the House maybe in the first week of April. Now, everything&#8217;s got to move in the right sequence. And along the way, I think we&#8217;re going to keep those trains moving in the right direction and on time. And if that happens, we will get it out of the House in early April, maybe as soon as April 3, and then move it over to the Senate. That would put that bill on the president&#8217;s desk for signature by the end of April. That would be fantastic. And, in a worst-case scenario: Memorial Day.&#8221;

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson

‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’: Speaker Johnson Draws Out Budget Reconciliation Plan For Trump 2.0

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) threw his support behind at least two of President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s nominees during an interview over the weekend.
Speaking with Kristen Welker during a Sunday interview on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet The Press,&#8221; Graham backed Trump&#8217;s picks for Secretary of Defense and Director of the FBI.
Graham said that he would vote to confirm Pete Hegseth to be the next Secretary of Defense unless something unforeseen were to arise.
&#8220;All of these are anonymous allegations,&#8221; Graham said in response to some of the salacious allegations Hegseth has faced in the media.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1734316362792000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3WFrGTKGi4Kfdcfmpq1Mud">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE</a>
&#8220;He&#8217;s given me his side of the story. It makes sense to me. I believe him,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Unless somebody is willing to come forward, I think he&#8217;s going to get through. Remember, Kavanaugh. Five people accused Justice Kavanaugh of misconduct. Three were outright lies. The other two, I think, were not credible. So we&#8217;re not going to let that happen to Pete. You&#8217;re not going to destroy his nomination based on anonymous sources. People have to come forward and make credible allegations, and we&#8217;ll see if they do.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Senator <a href="https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LindseyGrahamSC</a>: “I’m in a good place with <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeteHegseth</a>… These are anonymous allegations. He’s given me his side of the story — it makes sense to me. I believe him. Unless somebody’s willing to come forward, I think he’s going to get through.” <a href="https://t.co/7caJ9mixV6">pic.twitter.com/7caJ9mixV6</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1868304194308030764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>

Senator Graham Backs Hegseth For Secretary Of Defense

Pete Hegseth

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) urged his fellow senators on Wednesday to avoid joining an &#8220;angry mob&#8221; during the confirmation process of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for attorney general.
Graham met with Gaetz and Vice President-elect JD Vance on Wednesday morning. Vance took Gaetz and Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth around Capitol Hill to meet with key senators ahead of their confirmation hearings. Both Gaetz and Hegseth have been viewed as controversial picks, with some Republican senators publicly expressing their concern over Gaetz being tapped to head the Justice Department.
Gaetz, who has been one of President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s most ardent supporters, was the subject of a DOJ sex trafficking investigation, but no charges were brought against him. The House Ethics Committee is also investigating the Florida Republican for alleged sexual misconduct. Gaetz resigned from Congress immediately after being nominated for attorney general, effectively ending the probe.
For the upcoming confirmation hearing, Graham asked his colleagues to neither &#8220;rubber stamp&#8221; Gaetz nor &#8220;be driven by a lynch mob.&#8221;
&#8220;I had a very good meeting with President Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, Matt Gaetz, and Vice President-elect JD Vance. I am committed to allowing the process to go forward in a manner consistent with past practices and fundamental fairness. This process will not be a rubber stamp nor will it be driven by a lynch mob,&#8221; Graham <a href="https://x.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1859252754473976025">posted</a> on X. &#8220;My record is clear. I tend to defer to presidential cabinet choices unless the evidence suggests disqualification. I fear the process surrounding the Gaetz nomination is turning into an angry mob, and unverified allegations are being treated as if they are true. I have seen this movie before.&#8221;
&#8220;I would urge all of my Senate colleagues, particularly Republicans, not to join the lynch mob and give the process a chance to move forward. After years of being investigated by the Department of Justice, no charges were brought against Matt Gaetz. This is something we should all remember,&#8221; the South Carolina senator added. &#8220;I would also urge my colleagues to go back to a time-tested process, receive relevant information, and give the nominee a chance to make their case as to why they should be confirmed. This standard – which I have long adhered to – has served the Senate and country well.&#8221;
The House Ethics Committee is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/11/20/us/trump-news-gaetz#jd-vance-senators-gaetz-hegseth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> gathering on Wednesday afternoon behind closed doors as some on Capitol Hill call on the committee to release what it has on Gaetz. The committee chair, Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS), has not said if he supports releasing any report. Assuming all Democrats on the committee vote to release the information on Gaetz, only one Republican would need to approve, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4998829-house-ethics-committee-gaetz-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
“There’s not enough money in the world to pay me to serve on the Ethics Committee right now,” one House Republican said, according to The Hill. “Those members are definitely in an unenviable position.”
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-nominates-matt-gaetz-for-attorney-general" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nominated</a> the 42-year-old Gaetz for attorney general last week, calling him a &#8220;deeply gifted and tenacious attorney, trained at the William &amp; Mary College of Law, who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice.&#8221;
“Matt will root out the systemic corruption at DOJ, and return the Department to its true mission of fighting Crime, and upholding our Democracy and Constitution,” Trump added. “We must have Honesty, Integrity, and Transparency at DOJ. Under Matt’s leadership, all Americans will be proud of the Department of Justice once again.”

Matt Gaetz

GOP Senator Urges Colleagues ‘Not To Join The Lynch Mob’ Over Gaetz Confirmation Hearing

GOP Senator Urges Colleagues 'Not To Join The Lynch Mob' Over Gaetz Confirmation Hearing

Attorney General

Trump Administration

On Monday, the one-year anniversary of the horrific Hamas October 7 massacre of more than 1200 Israelis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with a bipartisan delegation of U.S. Senators in his office in Jerusalem.
&#8220;I deeply appreciate the visit by Senators Graham and Blumenthal on this day of commemoration, October 7,&#8221; Netanyahu stated, as reported by <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/397236">Israel National News</a>. &#8220;It was the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, but unlike the Holocaust, we fight back. We’re fighting like lions with the support of the American government and the American people, and its representatives here. I want to thank you both for your stellar support for Israel throughout the war.&#8221;
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who led the delegation, said, &#8220;The reason people were killed on October 7 was they were Jewish. We’ve seen this movie before. We don’t want to see any more of those movies. Living in their own homeland.&#8221;
&#8220;You said something that really struck me,&#8221; Graham continued, then referred to the roughly 80,000 Israelis forced to evacuate their homes in the north to the thousands of rockets Hezbollah has fired at Israel over the past year. &#8220;No one should be a refugee in their own country. They’re going back to the north, folks. They’re going back to these kibbutzes. Whatever it takes to get your people back in their homes, you do it.&#8221;
Graham then turned to France, whose president, Emanuel Macron, had publicly called for an arms embargo against Israel.  &#8220;To my friends in France, you’ve got this ass backwards,&#8221; Graham declared. &#8220;You should be doubling down on helping Israel, because the people that want to destroy Israel also want to destroy the French people. I get that. He gets that. You’re fighting our fight. We’re going to help you with your military needs.&#8221;
&#8220;As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should be standing firmly by Israel’s side, yet President Macron and some other Western leaders are now calling for arms embargoes against Israel. Shame on them,&#8221; Netanyahu fired back. &#8220;Is Iran imposing an arms embargo on Hezbollah, on the Houthis, on Hamas, and on its other proxies? Of course not. This axis of terror stands together, but countries who supposedly oppose this terror axis call for an arms embargo on Israel.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
My message to Macron &gt;&gt; <a href="https://t.co/BHyh0Fso19">pic.twitter.com/BHyh0Fso19</a>
&mdash; Benjamin Netanyahu &#8211; בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) <a href="https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/1842631521070669937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The Twin Towers fell not because of a hurricane, [but] because radical Islamist terrorists killed 3,000 of us on a single day,&#8221; Graham recalled. &#8220;And they would kill all of us if they could. If Iran ever got a nuclear weapon, they would use it. The question would be who would they use it against first. Me? You? Saudi Arabia? We can never let that happen. So we’re going to help you.&#8221;

World Leaders Speak At The 79th Session Of The United Nations General Assembly In New York

Netanyahu Meets With U.S. Senators In Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu

Hamas

Hezbollah

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lindsey-graham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lindsey Graham</a> (R-SC) went after CNN&#8217;s Jake Tapper during an interview over the weekend for criticizing former President Donald Trump&#8217;s rhetoric against Vice President Kamala Harris on the campaign trail.
Tapper specifically honed in on Trump calling Harris &#8220;mentally impaired&#8221; during a campaign rally.
&#8220;Kamala is mentally impaired. Joe Biden became mentally impaired. Kamala was born that way,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;If you think about it, only a mentally disabled person could have allowed this to happen to our country.&#8221;
Tapper said that Trump was &#8220;insulting&#8221; people who had mental impairments and claimed &#8220;Vice President Kamala Harris is not mentally impaired.&#8221;
Graham explained that Trump was simply calling Harris a &#8220;crazy liberal&#8221; and then proceeded to highlight numerous examples of how far-Left and disastrous she has been, including the devastation that has come from her being put in charge of the border, her refusing to show up to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#8217;s speech in the U.S., the withdraw from Afghanistan, Medicare for All, Green New Deal, and other &#8220;crazy stuff.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m not saying she&#8217;s crazy,&#8221; Graham said. &#8220;I&#8217;m saying your party, your policies are bats*** crazy.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
&#8220;Well, they&#8217;re not my policies,&#8221; Tapper responded. &#8220;I will just say, she didn&#8217;t boycott Netan&#8230;&#8221;
&#8220;She didn&#8217;t show up,&#8221; Graham fired back.
Tapper tried to change the subject, saying: &#8220;But let&#8217;s focus on Trump&#8217;s rhetoric, because that&#8217;s what I&#8217;m actually asking you about, because&#8230;&#8221;
&#8220;The problems with the world are not Trump&#8217;s rhetoric. They call him crazy,&#8221; Graham noted. &#8220;Pelosi wanted to invoke the 25th Amendment. Why don&#8217;t you ever talk about that?&#8221;
Tapper completely ignored Graham calling him out over his pro-Democrat/anti-Republican bias and moved on.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“I&#8217;m not saying she&#8217;s crazy. I&#8217;m saying your policies are batshit crazy.”<a href="https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LindseyGrahamSC</a> responds to Donald Trump calling Kamala Harris “mentally impaired.” <a href="https://t.co/VuzldJ1dk3">pic.twitter.com/VuzldJ1dk3</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1840415159686144476?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2024</a></blockquote>

Lindsey Graham Nukes CNN’s Jake Tapper For Complaining About Trump’s Rhetoric

Elections

Jake Tapper

Kamala Harris

Menu