South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham announced his bid for the Republican presidential nomination from his childhood town on Monday morning.

“I’m Lindsey Graham, and I’m running for President of the United States of America. It’s because of you that I can make that statement,” said Graham, speaking in Central, South Carolina.

After a short introduction from his sister, Graham took to the stage, which faced the one room apartment where the siblings grew up with their parents.

I’m running for President because I am ready to be Commander-in-Chief on day one.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) June 1, 2015

He also used the platform to take a dig at Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, seen by many as an early frontrunner in the race for the White House. “I have more experience with our national security than any other candidate…that includes you Hillary,” he said.

“It is time for America to come back, and come back we will. The way you come back is to make sure the next president must be an informed and decisive commander in chief,” said Graham.

Graham is a prominent Senate voice in seeking a more muscular foreign policy. He wants to send 10,000 more U.S. troops to Iraq to stabilize a world that he’s characterized as “falling apart.”

Graham is an outspoken member of the conservative class that swept into Congress in 1994. But he’s joined with Democrats on some contentious votes, such as a 2012 immigration overhaul and an end to a 2013 partial government shutdown.

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