Lindsey Graham Quips About Cellphone and Trump on Road Trip With BFF John McCain
But is McCain's popularity enough to swing voters ahead of Debate Week?
— -- Lindsey Graham took his secret weapon to New Hampshire Saturday: John McCain.
The two attended several functions, including a barbecue for veterans, a house party, an outdoor concert and a town hall meeting in New Hampshire.
McCain is still revered by many New Hampshire Republicans, and Graham tried to tap into that enthusiasm as they took questions together. Several questions were addressed directly to McCain –- not the current presidential candidate standing right next to him.
This isn't the first time these senators have had each other's backs. Graham stumped for McCain in 2008, along with Joe Lieberman. Together, they were known as the "three amigos." This weekend, McCain returned the favor.
“Great experiences in my life have been in New Hampshire,” said McCain, who surprised many by winning the 2000 and 2008 primaries. “If you’ve been impressed today, as I hope you have been, by this candidate, then I want you to do me one favor. Tell your friends, “go see Lindsey Graham.”
Each had harsh words for President Obama’s foreign policy, and took turns criticizing Hillary Clinton. Graham, though, wouldn’t use the former Secretary of State’s name, calling Clinton only “her.”
Graham fielded several hostile questions, including a young man who called Edward Snowden a hero. To one attendee who criticized the alliance between the U.S. and Israel, Graham said “I’m the worst possible choice for you. You don’t want to vote for me.”
He also poked fun at his recent clash with Donald Trump, who revealed Graham’s cellphone number. To a question about Chinese hacking practices, he quipped, “I had the only cellphone in America they couldn’t hack into. And Donald Trump blew that."
The two walked off stage to McCain’s favorite campaign song: ABBA’s “Take A Chance on Me.”
Of course, McCain never had to overcome odds like this. Graham is looking up at over a dozen GOP candidates in the polls in the lead-up to Monday’s “Voters First” forum in New Hampshire –- the last chance for candidates to make their marks before the field is set for the first official debate on Thursday.