Shortly afterwards he went to the White House Briefing room to talk to reporters. Good morning, senator. Mr. Graham good morning. So i got a call from the president this morning announcing what happened and he said wont you come to the white house. And i said id love to come and honored to be here on this day that really does matter to the world, not just the United States, and trying to put in words what does it matter how to explain it but i think last night the best of america confronted the worst of mankind and the good guys won. The good guys and the good gals won. The dog, trying to find out the name of the dog. Pray for the dog. It was severely injured. But it just reminds me of the team concept of the mill. Of the military. Ive been talking to the president for months about the war on terror. Every time i would bring up the topic, he would tell me without any hesitation, im going to get that blank guy. And i cant use the word on television but the president s been determined for a very long time to bring baghdadi to justice and i want to compliment him and his team for bringing about a result that i think is a game changer in the war on terror. The war is by no means over, the caliphate is dead and the leader of the caliphate is dead and thats a big deal. When bin laden was killed that was a big deal and complimented president obama. That was a hard call he made to go into pakistan and kill bin laden. What the president did last night was a hard call. These things are not predetermined to go well. And it just tells you how good our people are and what the president said today was very reassuring to me that when it comes to isis and other terrorist groups, were coming after you, wherever you go, as long as it takes, to protect our country, our way of life. Just end on this, isis is a depraved organization thats ever existed in the history of the world. Theyre a religious nazi. They cannot be accommodated. They cannot be negotiated with. And they have to be destroyed and marginalized. And heres the good news for all of us. Very few people over there buy in to what these crazy people are selling. And it will always be in our interest, i believe, to partner with people over there who are on the frontlines to make sure that isis types never come here and that we replace this ideology with something more sustainable. To the american people, this has been a long difficult war, and i under what the president wants to do. He wants to reduce our footprint and lower our costs and hes right to want to do that. But im very encouraged by what i see in syria. Maybe a new strategy that focuses on building up the lives of people in the region, having a small footprint of americans led by local populations and securing the oil as a really smart idea, quite frankly. Thats how isis survived for so long. You can take syrian oil out of the hands of isis, iran, and other enemies and put it in the hands of the kurds and people who fought and died along our side, then that is a really transformational event in the iraqsyrian theater. And what i see developing in syria is very promising. Reporter senator graham, i said the war is by no means over. You think the president understands that and also do you think the u. S. Could have pulled off this operation without the troop presence that the u. S. Has had in syria for some time now and are you concerned still about the withdrawal of most of those troops from syria . Senator graham when it comes to whats happening in syria, i like what i see. Weve had a the president s position and my position is really not that far off. We really dont need a bunch of americans in the safe zone. The International Community should do that. But some American Forces deployed with the s. D. F. To make sure the oil never falls back in the hands of isis and iran is not the biggest winner makes a lot of sense. When it comes to terrorism, the president changed the rules of engagement. You think the caliphate destroyed itself . He made a conscious decision when he went to iraq to change the game when it came to destroying isis. Hes had a determination to destroy the caliphate, unlike anybody ive ever met. Now, the question is how to keep it down. I think weve got a plan now to keep it down that meets his National Security objectives of reducing our footprint and having others do more. Reporter i want to say the president in his remarks mentioned turkeys cooperation when it came to this operation and i wonder if it changes your view on sanctions . And also ask why the president called you, he did not call the other members of the gang of eight even after the operation is completed, is that a mistake . Senator graham hes calling family members now. I was in town and right down the street. Reporter which family members . Senator graham family members who have been victims of isis. I guess what i would say today is what i see happening in syria makes sense to me that the president destroyed the caliphate. Hes asking others to do more and hes right when it comes to turkey. I think the invasion has been disruptive. But at the end of the day, if we can continue to partner with the kurds, secure the oil revenues for their sakes, not irans sake or isis sake and help pay the cost of operations makes imminent sense to me and the president is right to say the conflict between syrian and occurred and turkey need to be resolved. A safe zone needs to be occupied by forces other than the United States. I agree with that. Reporter its no secret the president wanted to pull out of syria last year. Without our troop presence there, would an operation like this have been possible . Senator graham you probably could have done this from iraq. But i dont know exactly the details of the operation. But i think the president is focusing on the resources that made isis so strong for so long. The caliphate was funded basically by many sources of revenue but one of the chief sources of revenue was syrian oil. If you take that off the table, the terrorists in the region are in a world of hurt and iran containment makes sense. The iranians would love to get this oil. The russians have shown some desire to go down here. I cant say this now but i was in the situation room and will talk to you later on. Of course it made some pretty firm statements to people in the region, you come into this area at your own peril. Reporter you very recently thought the president s decision to withdraw could be the biggest mistake of his presidency. Today youre affirming it as a positive one. Senator graham what im saying today is the killing of baghdadi is a game changer in the war on terror. Doesnt mean the war is over. The president s determination over time has paid off. We dont give him enough credit for destroying the caliphate and did it in months and not years because he changed the rules of engagement. What i want to talk about today is those brave men and women who planned the operation and went in on the ground and killed this bastard. Reporter first, is it appropriate for the president only to inform republicans of this operation apart from senator graham i dont know. Thats not my concern my concern is we did a good thing. Reporter second, on the oil, by what warrant or legal right in International Law does the United States take the oil of the sovereign nation of syria . Senator graham what you dont understand is these oil fields are in areas the s. D. F. Operates. This was a chief source of revenue for a long time in isis and is now in the hands of the Syrian Democratic forces, arab and kurds, mostly kurds in partnership with the United States. No, this doesnt violate any law in my view. What it does is just good common sense foreign policy. I want to congratulate the president for making sure that the oil revenues never fall into the hands of the bad guys and the way you secure this, this is a winwin. The s. D. F. Will get more money if we can modernize the oil fields. Were not going over there to enrich america. Were over there to help our allies deny our enemy resources that will allow them to get stronger over time and finally, and this is ok, to lower the cost to us. The president mentioned something. I had a bill that would make our aid to iraq alone that could be forgiven but also paid back over time. Heres the one thing thats been missing in the mideast. Skin in the game. If we made our aid to iraq alone they probably would have acted differently than if its just a grant. Now the s. D. F. Who have been good partners have a chance with our help to increase revenue for the benefit of their people. Theyll have more incentive to fight harder. Everything changes when the people youre fighting with have skin in the game. I want to compliment the president for comingup a model in syria we probably should have done in iraq. This is a game changer by the killing of baghdadi and a moment by all should be proud of our American Military and intelligence community. This is a moment where President Trumps worst critic shoes say, well done, mr. President. Reporter senator graham, thank you. Now heres President Trump on this mornings briefing on isis