Mike Huckabee Doesn't Appreciate The Suggestion He Endorsed Lindsey Graham

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) wants to be clear: He has not endorsed Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

Huckabee spoke up after a clip of him was used in a recent pro-Graham ad paid for by the South Carolina Conservative Action Alliance. The ad features Huckabee praising Graham's support for Israel and doggedness on the Benghazi controversy, calling him a "conservative champion of peace through strength."

According to the Columbia, S.C., newspaper The State, the ad aired Wednesday during the Capital One Bowl game between South Carolina and Wisconsin.

Watch the ad:

In a statement on Thursday, Huckabee clarified that he has not endorsed Graham, and said he was upset that the group had misrepresented his praise of the senator:

To be clear, I haven't endorsed Lindsey Graham for Senate. Last year, I voiced an ad thanking him for support of Israel. It was not an endorsement for his reelection. In fact, I don't plan to endorse anyone in SC Senate race in the primary but I will certainly help in the general election if asked.

Obviously, Senator Graham's people are using the “Thank you” ad and treating it like an endorsement, but neither the PAC nor I personally have endorsed in the South Carolina Senate race. Please help me by sharing this statement with your friends across South Carolina so voters understand where I stand. Thank you!

Graham, who is often criticized by conservative activists for being too moderate, is fending off four primary challengers in his 2014 reelection bid.

The South Carolina Conservative Action Alliance is a political nonprofit and does not have to disclose its donors. The group did not immediately return a request for comment from The Huffington Post.