Sen. Lindsey Graham on Thursday called for “somebody in Russia” to “step up” and kill President Vladimir Putin amid the invasion in Ukraine.
“Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military?” Graham tweeted Thursday.
“The only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out. You would be doing your country – and the world – a great service,” he added.
Graham’s comments are in reference to Brutus, a Roman politician who killed dictator Julius Caesar, and Stauffenberg, a German military officer who attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
The senator also made similar comments while appearing on Sean Hannity’s show, “Hannity”.
In a follow-up tweet, Graham said “The only people who can fix this are the Russian people. Easy to say, hard to do”. “Unless you want to live in darkness for the rest of your life, be isolated from the rest of the world in abject poverty, and live in darkness you need to step up to the plate”.
Graham’s comments quickly drew backlash from others, with many concerned they could provoke Putin.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted “While we are all praying for peace & for the people of Ukraine, this is irresponsible, dangerous & unhinged”. “We need leaders with calm minds & steady wisdom. Not blood thirsty warmongering politicians trying to tweet tough by demanding assassinations”.
“This is an exceptionally bad idea. Use massive economic sanctions; BOYCOTT Russian oil & gas; and provide military aid so the Ukrainians can defend themselves,” Sen. Ted Cruz tweeted. “But we should not be calling for the assassination of heads of state”.