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| Lindsey Graham drops out of race for Republican presidential nomination | Lindsey Graham drops out of race for Republican presidential nomination |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham dropped out of the Republican presidential race on Monday, reducing the candidates in the party’s still-crowded field to 13. | South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham dropped out of the Republican presidential race on Monday, reducing the candidates in the party’s still-crowded field to 13. |
| Graham, a relative moderate in the Republican field, made the announcement in a conference call to supporters and via a YouTube video. | Graham, a relative moderate in the Republican field, made the announcement in a conference call to supporters and via a YouTube video. |
| “I’m going to suspend my campaign. I’m not going to suspend my desire to help the country,” Graham said in the video address. “I’ve hit a wall here.” | “I’m going to suspend my campaign. I’m not going to suspend my desire to help the country,” Graham said in the video address. “I’ve hit a wall here.” |
| Related: The Republican presidential primary lost Lindsey Graham, its only voice of reason | Lucia Graves | |
| Despite an accomplished résumé and a puckish sense of humor, Graham was never able to gain any traction in the Republican primary. The South Carolina senator’s campaign had counted on appearances in nationally televised debates to lift his name recognition and impress voters but, due to his lower polling numbers, Graham never qualified for a primetime debate. | Despite an accomplished résumé and a puckish sense of humor, Graham was never able to gain any traction in the Republican primary. The South Carolina senator’s campaign had counted on appearances in nationally televised debates to lift his name recognition and impress voters but, due to his lower polling numbers, Graham never qualified for a primetime debate. |
| As a result, his campaign had all but abandoned its efforts in Iowa and focused on a surprise performance in New Hampshire to carry the South Carolina senator to relevance. Despite repeatedly campaigning there with his good friend and two-time New Hampshire Republican primary winner John McCain, Graham had not cracked 1% in a poll of the Granite State in December. | As a result, his campaign had all but abandoned its efforts in Iowa and focused on a surprise performance in New Hampshire to carry the South Carolina senator to relevance. Despite repeatedly campaigning there with his good friend and two-time New Hampshire Republican primary winner John McCain, Graham had not cracked 1% in a poll of the Granite State in December. |
| In his YouTube video, Graham thanked supporters and described his campaign as a “problem solver’s campaign”. His campaign had centered around his hawkish foreign policy as well as his advocacy for both entitlement reform and immigration reform. | In his YouTube video, Graham thanked supporters and described his campaign as a “problem solver’s campaign”. His campaign had centered around his hawkish foreign policy as well as his advocacy for both entitlement reform and immigration reform. |
| The announcement comes at an important point for Graham’s campaign. Monday was the last day that Graham could remove his name from the ballot in his home state of South Carolina. | The announcement comes at an important point for Graham’s campaign. Monday was the last day that Graham could remove his name from the ballot in his home state of South Carolina. |
| By dropping out, the three-term senator avoids potential embarrassment by losing and is able to play kingmaker among the establishment candidates vying to be an alternative to Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Graham has vocally denounced both Cruz and Trump on the campaign trail. Most recently, in an appearance at the Republican Jewish Coalition in Washington DC, the South Carolina Republican shredded Cruz as being unelectable in a general election. | By dropping out, the three-term senator avoids potential embarrassment by losing and is able to play kingmaker among the establishment candidates vying to be an alternative to Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Graham has vocally denounced both Cruz and Trump on the campaign trail. Most recently, in an appearance at the Republican Jewish Coalition in Washington DC, the South Carolina Republican shredded Cruz as being unelectable in a general election. |
| In an interview with CNN, Graham said: “My campaign has come to the point where I need to think about getting out and helping somebody else.” He added “Jeb and Marco are very in sync with where I’m at. [So are] Christie and Kasich.” | In an interview with CNN, Graham said: “My campaign has come to the point where I need to think about getting out and helping somebody else.” He added “Jeb and Marco are very in sync with where I’m at. [So are] Christie and Kasich.” |
| Florida senator Marco Rubio praised Graham as “a good guy” whose voice on national security would be missed on the campaign trail. | Florida senator Marco Rubio praised Graham as “a good guy” whose voice on national security would be missed on the campaign trail. |
| “We don’t agree on everything on foreign policy, but I think he’s a defender of a strong national defense, as I am,” Rubio told reporters after a campaign stop in Rochester, New Hampshire. “I thought he was one of the most forceful voices on any of the debate stages about rebuilding our military. So we’ll miss that in the campaign, although I’m sure he’ll continue to do that in his role in the Senate.” | “We don’t agree on everything on foreign policy, but I think he’s a defender of a strong national defense, as I am,” Rubio told reporters after a campaign stop in Rochester, New Hampshire. “I thought he was one of the most forceful voices on any of the debate stages about rebuilding our military. So we’ll miss that in the campaign, although I’m sure he’ll continue to do that in his role in the Senate.” |
| Asked if he would seek Graham’s endorsement, Rubio said he would “welcome” his Senate colleague’s support but noted it was early yet to pursue that avenue. | Asked if he would seek Graham’s endorsement, Rubio said he would “welcome” his Senate colleague’s support but noted it was early yet to pursue that avenue. |
| “He just got out of the race today, so let’s give him some time to get through the holidays,” Rubio said. | “He just got out of the race today, so let’s give him some time to get through the holidays,” Rubio said. |
| Graham’s departure leaves 13 candidates still comprising a crowded Republican field, as real estate mogul Donald Trump solidifies his frontrunner status: Rubio, Jeb Bush, John Kasich, Carly Fiorina, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Rand Paul, George Pataki and Jim Gilmore. | Graham’s departure leaves 13 candidates still comprising a crowded Republican field, as real estate mogul Donald Trump solidifies his frontrunner status: Rubio, Jeb Bush, John Kasich, Carly Fiorina, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Rand Paul, George Pataki and Jim Gilmore. |
| Asked if other contenders should also bow out so an alternative to Trump could emerge, Rubio disagreed. | Asked if other contenders should also bow out so an alternative to Trump could emerge, Rubio disagreed. |
| “People are allowed to run for president. I’m not calling on anyone to drop out of the race,” Rubio said. “I think there are a lot of candidates in this race who feel passionately about what they stand for and this gives them a chance to talk about it, and I respect that.” | “People are allowed to run for president. I’m not calling on anyone to drop out of the race,” Rubio said. “I think there are a lot of candidates in this race who feel passionately about what they stand for and this gives them a chance to talk about it, and I respect that.” |
| Graham is the fourth candidate to drop out of the Republican presidential primary. He joins Wisconsin governor Scott Walker, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal and former Texas governor Rick Perry in exiting the race. | Graham is the fourth candidate to drop out of the Republican presidential primary. He joins Wisconsin governor Scott Walker, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal and former Texas governor Rick Perry in exiting the race. |