Sen. Lindsey Graham says his foreign policy is 'a clenched fist and an open hand'

Sen. Lindsey Graham.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

During the five minutes he was allowed to speak at the Voters First Presidential Forum Monday in New Hampshire, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) accused China of cheating when it comes to trade, said he would take on Vladimir Putin, warned that the United States is on its way to "becoming Greece," called President Obama "weak," and said Bill and Hillary Clinton do not tell the truth.

Graham was asked by moderator Jack Heath what he would do to maintain free trade that is fair trade, and also to name a nation that was "cheating" the U.S. "China's cheating," Graham responded. "They're manipulating currency to create a discount for products made in China and we don't do a damn thing about it. They're building islands over resource-rich property owned by others because they can. They cyber attack us, steal our intellectual property, and no one pushes back. If I'm president, we're going to push back against China." He added, "Here’s my foreign policy — a clenched fist and an open hand. You choose."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.