U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) officially launched his bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination on Monday.

"I want to be president to protect our nation that we all love so much from all threats -- foreign and domestic," Graham said at a Monday event in Central, South Carolina. "So get ready. I know I'm ready."

Graham joins a growing list of Republicans who have jumped into the 2016 presidential race.

"I want to be president to defeat the enemies trying to kill us, not just penalize them or criticize them or contain them, but defeat them," the senator added during his announcement. "We will never enjoy peaceful co-existence with radical Islam because its followers are committed to destroying us and our way of life."

"Simply put, radical Islam is running wild," Graham said. "They are large, they are rich, they're entrenched. As president I will make them small, poor and on the run."

On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley are the declared presidential candidates. O'Malley is the latest Democrat to enter the 2016 presidential race, announcing his bid over the weekend.