South Carolina senator and former Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham will endorse GOP hopeful Jeb Bush for the party's nomination on Friday, despite poor polling numbers nationally, as well as in key primary state.
Bush and Graham will hold a press conference to formally announce the endorsement at 9:45 a.m. in North Charleston, S.C., the city of Thursday night's GOP debate, according to USA Today.
"His endorsement is very meaningful and along with it come a lot of friends and supporters of his," Bush said in an appearance on Fox News, which first broke the story, according to NBC News. "Lindsey Graham is probably the most knowledgeable person on the Hill as it related to national security, military affairs and foreign policy."
While some say that Graham's endorsement helps align moderate Republicans against Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, other observers, including poltiical consultant Matthew Dowd, question the value of Graham's endorsement.
seriously?? a guy with 0% (Graham) endorses someone with 5% (Bush)?? what kind of strategy is this? no wonder Trump is winning.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) January 15, 2016
The former Florida governor has had tremendous difficulty gaining support in the 2016 race thus far. In national averages compiled by RealClear Politics, Bush currently sits in fifth place with 4.8 percent. With the Iowa caucus less than three weeks away, he has 4.4 percent. In New Hampshire, he has 8.7 percent, which puts him in fifth place.
It was clear that Graham's endorsement would never go to Republican front-runner Donald Trump for president. Last month, before withdrawing from the race, Graham encouraged Republicans to rebuke Trump. "You know how you make America great again?" said Graham, mocking Trump's campaign slogan. "Tell Donald Trump to go to hell," Graham told CNN.
"He's a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot," Graham added. "He doesn't represent my party. He doesn't represents the values that the men and women who wear the uniform are fighting for. ... He's the ISIL man of the year."
