DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – On his first trip to Iowa since getting into the early days of the 2016 presidential race, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham heard some advice from Republicans already thinking about the state’s lead-off caucuses.
They put it bluntly: “I need to show up,” he said.
Graham spent two days in Iowa this week, mostly attending private events with Republican elected officials and activists, as part of his efforts to “test the waters” for a potential campaign.
A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a leading GOP voice on foreign policy, Graham also spoke at an event organized by a former Iowa National Guard leader and planned to talk with reporters about national security issues.
A critic of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy, Graham said he would focus on international affairs should he decide to run for president, a decision he expects to make in the next few months.