Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) expressed on Sunday that he no longer has confidence in Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

This shift in Graham’s stance is attributed to Austin’s recent comments regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Despite Graham’s previous support for Austin, the senator is now critical, particularly in response to Austin’s assertion that Israel faces “strategic defeat” unless it takes additional measures to safeguard civilians in Gaza amid the ongoing conflict with Hamas.

“He’s so naive, I mean, I’ve just lost all confidence in this guy,” Graham said on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday.

“How about focusing on protecting our soldiers, men and women in Syria and Iraq? Strategic defeat would be inflaming the Palestinians? They’re already inflamed,” Graham said, Axios reported.

Despite his personal affinity for Austin, the South Carolina Republican remarked that the ongoing war has revealed Austin’s lack of understanding.

According to him, if the U.S. were subjected to a similar attack, like the one on 9/11, and someone proposed a ceasefire against Al Qaeda within two months, it would have been met with derision and rejection.

In his view, such a suggestion would have been dismissed with laughter and a swift rejection.

Graham added that Austin is “telling Israel things that are impossible to achieve” and told him to “quit criticizing Israel in public.”

Written by B.C. Begley