Laura Ingraham presses Ted Cruz on claim Lindsey Graham 'coached' Netanyahu to lobby Trump

WASHINGTON, DC: Fox News host Laura Ingraham pressed Sen Ted Cruz about Sen Lindsey Graham and his reported secret meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a recent broadcast of 'The Ingraham Angle'. 

The discussion centered on Graham’s alleged efforts to push for military action against Iran and on whether his interactions with a foreign leader were appropriate in the context of a looming conflict. 

Laura Ingraham questions Ted Cruz over Lindsey Graham’s meetings with Netanyahu

During the Monday, March 9, edition of her Fox News show, Ingraham questioned Cruz about a report detailing how he had traveled to Israel multiple times in recent weeks. According to a report cited from The Wall Street Journal, the South Carolina senator met with members of Israel’s intelligence agency while advocating for action against Iran.

The report stated that Graham said Israeli officials would “tell me things our own government won’t tell me.” It also described how he spoke with Netanyahu and "coached" him on how to lobby the US president for military action.

According to the report, Netanyahu later showed intelligence to President Donald Trump that helped persuade him to move forward with strikes.

After reading the excerpt on air, Ingraham asked Cruz whether Graham’s conduct was appropriate. She noted that lawmakers routinely speak with foreign leaders but questioned whether acting as an intermediary during a potential war was acceptable.

She said that speaking with a foreign leader “on the precipice of war and seeming to be lobbying or being an intermediary, which this seems to indicate, is that the right way to go?" Responding to the question, Cruz said that he is “passionate about defending America” and frequently travels and talks with leaders around the world.

Ted Cruz pushes back on Laura Ingraham's 'characterization' of Lindsey Graham

Cruz further acknowledged that there are times when he agrees with Graham and times when he does not, but emphasized Graham’s strong views on national defense. Ingraham then pressed Cruz further, asking, "Well, what about this? I mean, this is something of a totally different level, is it not?"

Cruz pushed back on the suggestion, responding, "No, actually, when it comes to the threat Iran poses, Lindsey agrees they pose a major threat to America, and I agree they pose a major threat to America."

He added that the two senators have disagreed in the past, stating, "Look, Lindsey and I disagreed on the Iraq war. He thought the Iraq war was a good idea. I thought the Iraq war was a mistake. I think Iran is fundamentally different because Saddam Hussein was not murdering Americans on the scale and level that Iran has been doing."

Ingraham continued to question Cruz about the situation, clarifying her position. She said, "I'm not disagreeing with that. Our point is working with Netanyahu so closely to lobby President Trump, acting as an intermediary for a foreign country. Is that appropriate? That was my simple question. I'm not trying to be difficult here, but that's slightly unusual, is it not?"

Cruz responded by pushing back on that characterization while acknowledging there were other points where he agreed with her. He said, "I agree with you on other points. I don't think it's a fair characterization that Lindsey is an intermediary for Israel and a lot of the critics say, oh, the war is all about Israel."

He added that the conflict should be viewed from the perspective of US national security, stating, "Understand, it's not about Israel. It is about America. The reason President Trump acted is to defend America."