Lindsey Graham: I'll 'Go to War' for Chick-fil-A

SC senator says he'll back chain after Notre Dame students protest possible eatery on campus
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 15, 2021 7:26 AM CDT
In College Students vs. Chick-fil-A, Lindsey Graham Picks a Side
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 23, 2021.   (Sarah Silbiger/Pool via AP)

In May, the University of Notre Dame's dining service noted in a social media post that it may be considering adding Chick-fil-A to its on-campus options—and the hubbub that has emerged at the Indiana school since now involves a senator from South Carolina. The Hill reports that Lindsey Graham is coming to the defense of the fast-food chain, after Notre Dame students penned two letters opposing the possibility of adding Chick-fil-A to the college's dining "master plan." A major concern cited by the students "relates to Chick-fil-A's long history of antagonism toward the LGBTQ+ community," students Joey Jegier and Tilly Keeven Glascock wrote in the first letter, which appeared in the student newspaper the Observer on July 1. They note that the chain's charitable foundation has donated in the past to "queerphobic" groups, as has CEO Dan Cathy.

In that letter and a second one signed by nearly 200 other classmates, the students note that they also oppose Chick-fil-A for its "reliance on animal agriculture" and "lack of accommodations for students with special dietary needs." In a Twitter thread Wednesday, Graham jumped into the fray, calling the students' pushback a "dangerous precedent." "It's disappointing to hear some ND students and faculty want to ban Chick-fil-A from doing business on campus because they disagree with the values held by the Chick-fil-A founders," he wrote, adding, "I have Chick-fil-A's back." What that means exactly is unclear, but Graham went on to gush about the chain's food, service, and "values." "I hope we don't have to, but I will go to war for the principles Chick fil-A stands for," he noted. Per the Wrap, Graham also stood up for the company on Tuesday in response to a report that New York Democrats are trying to ban Chick-fil-A from rest stops. (More Lindsey Graham stories.)

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