Fox News host Laura Ingraham called Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham’s call for assassinating Russian President Vladimir Putin “dangerous and stupid” on Thursday’s “The Ingraham Angle.”
Graham called for the Russian people to “take this guy [Putin] out” via Twitter Thursday, saying the assassination would be a “great service” to the world. Ingraham blasted the senator’s remarks when asking Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton whether there was any intel about the Russian president’s “days” being “numbered.”
“Is there any intel, that you know of, that Putin’s days are numbered? I know Lindsey Graham earlier tonight tweeted that basically someone needs to ‘take him out,’ or maybe I’m paraphrasing. But he’s basically, someone should assassinate Putin,” Ingraham began. “I don’t know why a sitting U.S. senator would be tweeting that out, it seems really dangerous and stupid to say that. And we like Lindsey Graham, but that’s just a stupid comment.”
Cotton answered he had no knowledge that “would support that,” adding that the president has ruled Russia “with an iron fist for 20 years.” (RELATED: Russia Drafts Plans For Public Executions In Captured Cities: REPORT)
Graham set off a wave of backlash from both sides of the political aisle with his tweets. Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said the senator’s remarks were “an exceptionally bad idea,” saying the U.S. should instead push for tougher sanctions and provide military aid to Ukraine.
This is an exceptionally bad idea.
Use massive economic sanctions; BOYCOTT Russian oil & gas; and provide military aid so the Ukrainians can defend themselves.
But we should not be calling for the assassination of heads of state. https://t.co/crPGHw9xyJ
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 4, 2022
Fox News host Sean Hannity suggested Wednesday that the Russian people should assassinate Putin, arguing he had “forfeit[ed] your right to live” for the full-scale invasion that Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said Wednesday had led to the deaths of over 2,000 Ukrainian civilians. The host also suggested the reversal of former President Gerald Ford’s Executive Order 11905 that prohibits the U.S. government from participating in foreign and political assassinations.