It’s bad enough when a popular talk show host, who reaches tens of millions of Americans with saber-rattling war propaganda, calls for the assassination of a foreign leader who controls a nuclear arsenal.
It’s worse when a U.S. senator agrees.
First it was Sean Hannity of Fox News. Then it was Lindsey Graham, who represents South Carolina in the U.S. Senate.
The remarks invited the condemnation they richly deserved. Putin leads a nation armed to the teeth with atom bombs. Perhaps a U.S. senator should not call for his assassination.
Hannity Unhinged
Hannity apparently thinks the United States must create a regiment of “double-O” agents with a license to kill.
He began the Murder Putin line on his radio program two days ago, then continued with a rant informed more by pro-Ukraine propaganda than a grasp of reality.
The United States must provide limitless bullets, guns, air-defense systems, and Javelin and Stinger missles, Hannity said, and Putin “needs to go” because “he’s a murdering thug, with nuclear weapons, committing atrocities in Ukraine.”
Noting that Putin is killing women and children, Hannity said he “has deployed 400 mercenaries” to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky.”
Thus, “Putin has got to be stopped by whatever means necessary,” he continued. The law against U.S. government employees assassinating foreign leaders must be repealed:
It’s a simple rule in life. If you invade an innocent country, and you kill women and children and men, you forfeit your right to lead a country, and you forfeit your right to live. And I hope that people around Vladimir Putin, well, I hope they take action sooner than later.
Now currently, the U.S. operates under a decades-old executive order first first signed by President Gerald Ford that prohibits the U.S. government employees from engaging in political assassination. But my final question tonight is, when it comes to Putin, is it time now to revisit the rule. My rule I like better. New rule — invade a sovereign country, you kill innocent men, women, and children, you forfeit your right to run a country and you forfeit your right to live. It’s that simple. Cut off the head of the snake, the snake dies.
Graham Agreed
But worse were the remarks from Graham.
“Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military?” he tweeted:
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.
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.
Neocon Eli Lake, a contributor to Commentary, offered this: “The Norwegian Nobel Committee should issue a public statement promising to award this year’s peace prize to any Russian officers who take down Vladimir Putin. The first Nobel Laureate coup plotters.”
Reactions
Understandably, saner heads answered, including Graham’s GOP colleague from Texas.
“This is an exceptionally bad idea,” Ted Cruz replied:
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.
“Resign, now,” Jack Posobiec of Human Events tweeted. “Has Lindsey Graham or any of these psychopaths even considered who would take over if Putin is assassinated?” he continued today. “Think beyond Step One.”
Writer Frederick Joseph wisely noted American politicians should not call for murdering heads of state.
“Even if you agree with Lindsey Graham about assassinating Putin, you have to understand that you are a private citizen and he is not,” he tweeted:
He’s a sitting Senator and a leader of the Republican Party.
Twitter is not the place to share his thoughts on assassinating a world leader.
Graham, McCain on Ukraine
In December 2016, Graham and the late Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) told Ukrainian troops the United States would support their war against Russia.
“Your fight is our fight. 2017 will be the year of offense,” Graham said. “All of us, we’ll go back to Washington and we will push the case against Russia. Enough of Russian aggression. It is time for them to pay a heavier price.”
“I believe you will win,” McCain added. “I am convinced you will win, and we will do everything we can to provide you with what you need to win.”
The tweet notes that “Trump came in and stopped it all from happening.”
For his part, Putin has threatened “consequences you have never seen” and placed nuclear forces on high alert.
