Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) (Photo: Screen capture/C-SPAN)

(CNSNews.com) - Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) spoke to President Trump following Trump's contentious meeting with the House and Senate Minority Leaders, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer.

Well the first thing he asked me, "how did I do?" I said, "I thought you did great. I thought you made a very compelling case, that you need more wall funding to secure the country." Secure borders are -- it's not a manhood thing, it's a national security thing.



And here's what's so hypocritical, in February of this year 44 Democrats, including Schumer, voted for a bill that had $25 billion for a wall. In 2013 Schumer helped create a bill that I was part of that had $8 billion for a wall -- $42 billion for securing the border in other ways.



So they're just -- they want Trump to lose more than they want the country to win. They voted for vast -- large amounts of money to secure the border before, they just don't want to do it for Trump.

Graham told Fox News's Martha McCallum Tuesday night that if Democrats voted for $25 billion in wall funding in February, Trump should insist on $5 billion now.



"The caravans have created more uncertainty on the border, not less," Graham said. "What signal are we sending to the world if we reduce funding for border security in light of increased threats? We're inviting more caravans.



"So the president is right, this liberal arrogance has to come to an end. Nancy Pelosi said, 'I will never put DACA associated with the wall.' Well, we did that in February. So this idea that the president needs to back down, doesn't make sense to me -- he needs to dig in and get the very Democrats who voted for $25 billion to give him $5 billion because we need the money now more than ever."



Graham said for Democrats, it's all about politics. "The president needs to dig in and make them pay a price -- they're overplaying their hand. If I were the president I would put DACA on the table and see if they say no to that, wall plus DACA would be a good deal for this country."



Graham, an early proponent of comprehensive immigration reform, has co-sponsored a DREAM Act with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) that would create a pathway to citizenship for the so-called "dreamers," illegal immigrants who were brought to this country as children and received a promise of deferred deportation from President Obama.

"I think the president and people like me need to make a case to the American people that they're denying this president money that makes sense. The difference between $1.6 billion and $5 billion is what we're talking about."



Graham said the president's on "the right side of this issue. He's got to deal with this obstruction now -- this hypocrisy now, this liberal arrogance now."



McCallum asked Graham if he would recommend a partial government shutdown, if that's what it takes to get wall funding.



"I recommend sticking to securing the border that is broken, and the difference between $1.6 and $5 billion is what we're talking about," Graham repeated. "It's a reasonable request, we need more money for the border, and if you don't see more threats to our border in this year versus last, then you're just not watching the same movie I'm watching.



"The president needs to make the case, he's being reasonable and they hate him so much they want him to lose and the country to lose. So I mean, at the end of the day they'd rather him lose than the country win. Stick with it Mr. President, you're on the right side of this issue. You will win this case for the American people."