SC’s Lindsey Graham would give up job to keep Iran from having nuclear weapon

As gas prices climb in South Carolina due to the continued war in Iran, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said he would give up his job in congress to ensure the country didn’t have a nuclear weapon.

“If I had to give my job up to make sure Iran would never have a nuclear weapon, I would do it,” Graham said on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday morning.

Graham is seeking a fifth term in the U.S. Senate as he has continued to support President Donald Trump’s continued war in Iran. In the Sunday interview, Graham said keeping Iran from having nuclear weapons should be the priority. Average fuel prices in South Carolina exceed $4, up from $2.77 a year ago, according to AAA fuel price estimates.

“Do I worry about gas prices? Yes,” Graham said. “But President Trump’s right. The biggest threat to the stability in the world is a nuclear-armed Iran, and whatever price we have to pay, we will pay.”

Throughout his reelection campaign, Graham has frequently argued in front of cameras and to supporters the importance of keeping Iran from having a nuclear weapon. Earlier this month at a campaign stop in Lexington, he asked attendees whether they believed Iran would use a nuclear weapon if the country had one.

“If you don’t believe that you should not be allowed to drive,” Graham told the crowd May 8.

Graham’s Republican and Democratic opponents, including Annie Andrews and Mark Lynch, have criticized his rhetoric around the war on the campaign trail.

Graham also said Sunday he believed the U.S. has “hit a wall when it comes to negotiations” with Iran. Graham said Trump should pursue actions to weaken Iran before continuing dealmaking, including reducing its “military capability,” impacting energy infrastructure and hitting the country’s economy.

“You can’t pursue a deal more than the people on the other side want a deal,” Graham said.

Graham said Iran’s nuclear weapons could be compromised without putting U.S. troops on the ground. He suggested putting a “circle of death” around Iran’s nuclear weapons and preventing the country from using its capabilities until the U.S. knows how to deal with it.

This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 8:33 AM with the headline "SC’s Lindsey Graham would give up job to keep Iran from having nuclear weapon."