The White House on Friday joined the ranks of those in Washington who aren’t thrilled with Sen. Lindsey Graham writing that someone in Russia needs to assassinate President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
“That is not the position of the U.S. government and certainly not a statement you’d hear come from the mouth of anybody working in this administration,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
Ms. Psaki was responding to questions about Mr. Graham, a South Carolina Republican whose tweet late Thursday raised eyebrows across the political spectrum.
“Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military?” he tweeted, referring to the Roman politician who famously helped to assassinate Julius Caesar and German Lt. Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, who tried to kill Adolf Hitler in 1944.
“The only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out,” Mr. Graham wrote. “You would be doing your country — and the world — a great service.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican, called it “an exceptionally bad idea.”
“Use massive economic sanctions; BOYCOTT Russian oil & gas; and provide military aid so the Ukrainians can defend themselves,” Mr. Cruz tweeted. “But we should not be calling for the assassination of heads of state.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Democrat, said she wished members would “cool it” as Mr. Biden tries to avoid World War III.
“As the world pays attention to how the US and it’s [sic] leaders are responding, Lindsey’s remarks and remarks made by some House members aren’t helpful,” she tweeted.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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