US election 2016: Republican Lindsey Graham would welcome Caitlyn Jenner's presidential endorsement

There is at least one Republican presidential candidate who supports Caitlyn Jenner and would like to have her backing during the 2016 elections: Lindsey Graham.

The South Carolina conservative told CNN's State of the Union on 7 June that he would welcome the support of 65-year-old Jenner, who came out as Caitlyn last week in Vanity Fair's cover story. "If Caitlyn Jenner wants to be a Republican, she is welcome in my party," the GOP senator said.

"I haven't walked in her shoes. I don't have all the answers to the mysteries of life. I can only imagine the torment that Bruce Jenner went through. I hope he — I hope she — has found peace," Graham continued.

The 59-year-old, who holds strong conservative views when it comes to social issues, redirected the conversation to the economy instead, the New York Post reported.

"I'm a pro-life, traditional-marriage kind of guy," he said. "But I'm running to be president of the United States... If Caitlyn Jenner wants to be safe and have a prosperous economy, vote for me."

Graham noted that he did not just have room for Jenner in his Republican Party. According to CNN, the GOP candidate said if he was elected he would work with Democrats on entitlements and that he would address global warming issues. Graham also supports sending more US troops overseas to the Middle East.

"If you think we can protect America without some troops having to go back overseas and flight for a very long time, most likely, then I'm not your guy," he said.

He continued: "Radical Islam is not going to be defeated just by armies over there. We have to be part of those armies. It's going to be a generational struggle — it's not just about killing terrorist. Building a schoolhouse for a poor girl in a remote region of Afghanistan will do more damage to the Taliban."

In the latest CNN/ORC poll, Graham dipped from the 2% he held between 16-19 April down to 1% between 29-31 May. The crowded GOP field, which now has 10 candidate, is expected to expand.