Lindsey Graham kicks off reelection campaign in Greenville with the help of VP Mike Pence.
VPOTUS took the stage at the Greenville Marriott hotel at 4:27 p.m. Blazer, no tie.
The event, a campaign-style rally in a hotel room, was attended by a few hundred people. Dozens of “Make America Great Again” red hats around the crowd.
It was open press, with a large contingent of local and state media present.
VPOTUS said “we need six more years of Senator Lindsey Graham in the United States Senate” and said he has admired Graham since he first saw him on C-SPAN back in the 1990s.
Big applause line here from VPOTUS was “The Green New deal got zero votes!”
VPOTUS touted the administration’s efforts to unravel “Obamacare,” but did not linger on the issue, following a week of some Republican unease about the president’s decision to bring the health-care debate back to the fore.
VPOTUS also claimed to the crowd that “the special counsel confirmed what President Trump has said all along: there was no collusion.” The crowd joined VPOTUS in saying “no collusion!” and cheered.
VPOTUS was introduced by Governor McMaster and Senator Graham. Before Graham took the stage, “Time Is On My Side” played (the version by The Rolling Stones), as did “Candle in the Wind” by Elton John.
“I’d like to keep my job,” Graham said, promising that “the best is yet to come.” He added that “purpose number one” of his candidacy “is to help President Trump in his second term.”
“We got off to a rocky start, me and him. I was one of 16 people, he beat me like a drum, and he loves hearing that,” Graham said.
On VPOTUS, Graham commented, “The Pences go through hell” for “being the Pences.”