Lindsey Graham in CBS "Face the Nation" interviews during 2018

On Environment: Manage forest underbrush better, to avoid raging wildfires

GRAHAM: Well, #1, my heart goes out to the people who lost their homes These are historically large wildfires in California. But we do have a forest management problem all over the country we need to address. But California will receive the money they need. But going forward, we need to look at some of the underlying causes of these fires and it's just not California we need to look at better forest management in terms of federal lands all over the country.

Q: So you agree with the sentiment, but, perhaps, not the tone?

GRAHAM: Yeah. This has been a debate for a while about underbrush clearing in federally owned lands, but now is not time to talk about cutting off money. With all due respect we're going to help our friends in California. They need help.

On Immigration: Change asylum law to not apply to illegal border crossers

GRAHAM: When it comes to changing asylum laws saying that somebody here illegally cannot apply for asylum, I don't know if you can do that by executive order, but I support that policy. Right now people are marching on our border, if they cross illegally then they asked for asylum. Asylum shouldn't be a magnet for illegal immigration. So I support the policy change.

Q: The ACLU suggests that that's actually contravening Congress and established law.

GRAHAM: I might want to get another opinion than the ACLU. But I do believe asylum laws are being abused. They've become magnets for illegal immigration. People cross the border illegally, then apply for asylum. That's not the way asylum is set up to work. I support the policy change. Congress probably should do it, but I am open-minded to the executive order.

On War & Peace: Iran nuke deal allows a bomb after 15 years

GRAHAM: Well, he's got a strategy to deny Iran a pathway to a bomb by withdrawing from this agreement [Obama's nuclear deal]. Fifteen years from now, all the restrictions on their uranium program go away. They can enrich and reprocess uranium and potentially plutonium without limitation. So, getting out of the agreement stops a nuclear arms race. But when it comes to containing Iran on the ground in Syria and other places, we don't have much of a strategy.

Q: How does exiting Obama's deal to freeze the nuclear program stop Iran from getting a bomb?

GRAHAM: The mere passage of time, they can have an industrial-strength enrichment program. And every Arab nation in the region has said that this deal was terrible. It meant that Iran one day would get a bomb without cheating. Israel believes it's a bad deal. I believe it's a bad deal.