![GOP presidential candidate meets with voters after his West Des Moines event.](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/740/2015/06/27032015/IMG_3909-225x300.jpg)
Extra chairs had to be added to seat a growing audience at GOP presidential candidate Lindsey Graham’s first town hall meeting in West Des Moines on Friday.
The event was the first time Graham was addressing Iowans as a contender in the race (he previously spoke at the GOP Lincoln Dinner last month). Graham’s staff played a short video highlighting his accomplishments,after which the South Carolina Senator spoke for a few minutes, and then he took several questions from the audience. One audience member questioned Graham’s stance on guns.
“Check me out,” said Graham. “Check my rating with the NRA. Come to my house and I will show you my AR-15. I am an enthusiastic hunter, and here is my message to President Obama: why do you want to expand background checks when you don’t enforce the law that already exists?”
Graham said he would not allow felons to purchase a gun if he is elected president.
One of Graham’s main platforms of his campaign is his military experience, of which he has 30-plus years, and he was asked how he would handle ISIS.
“You know what I’m weary of? I’m weary of being run over by a bunch of thugs,” said Graham. “I’m tired of this. I’m weary of a failed foreign policy that is going to result on a major attack on our country if we don’t up our game.”
Graham also addressed some concerns that he works too much with his members on the other side of the aisle on issues like immigration and social security.
“I have been beat up repeatedly by some Republicans for working too much with Democrats,” said Graham. “I’ve only tried to engage my Democratic colleagues to try to make my nation stronger.”
Graham will also be one of the headliners at Senator Joni Ernst’s “Roast and Ride” in Boone Saturday afternoon.