Sen. Lindsey Graham was asked about Bruce Jenner coming out as Caitlyn Jenner on this Sunday's State of the Union on CNN, and unlike his fellow Republicans, or some right-wing hate talkers, Graham said he welcomed Jenner to the party and left the personal attacks aside.
That wasn't going to stop him from doing his typical fearmongering, or calling to raise the retirement age and destroy what's left of our social safety nets, or to continue calls to discriminate against the LGBT community.
Lindsey Graham's GOP tent is big enough for Caitlyn Jenner:
Lindsey Graham says he'd welcome Caitlyn Jenner as a political ally. He'd work with Democrats on entitlement reforms. And he'd lower climate-harming emissions to address global warming.
As long as you agree there's "too much debt, too many terrorists," the South Carolina senator and 2016 presidential contender says there's room in his Republican Party for you.
"Here's what I would say to the talk show hosts: In the eyes of radical Islam, they hate you as much as they hate Caitlyn Jenner," Graham said. "They hate us all because we won't agree to their view of religion. So America, we are all in this together."
Graham made his pitch in an interview for a more inclusive GOP in an interview with CNN's Dana Bash aired Sunday on "State of the Union."
That doesn't mean Graham is abandoning policies he says are central to his presidential campaign, which includes his promise to send more troops into the Middle East.
On domestic issues, Graham said he's not compromising on his own principles: He opposes abortion and supports traditional marriage -- but "without animosity."
"But if we can't agree on abortion, let's talk about taxes. We're literally all in this together," Graham said.
Asked about Jenner, the former Olympian who is now a transgender woman, who also said she is a Republican, Graham said he is "into addition."
"I haven't walked in her shoes. I don't have all the answers to the mysteries of life," he said. "I can only imagine the torment that Bruce Jenner went through. I hope he's -- I hope she has found peace."
"I'm a pro-life, traditional marriage kind of guy, but I'm running to be president of the United States. If Caitlyn Jenner wants to be a Republican, she is welcome in my party," Graham said.
[ad]
