Lindsey Graham insisted law enforcement should have shot Trump rioters amid Capitol insurrection, new book says

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) reportedly told law enforcement that he could not understand why they hadn't opened fire on the group of angry Trump supporters that stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, according to accounts detailed in a new book.

Per HuffPost, the book, titled, "Hold the Line: The Insurrection and One Cop’s Battle for America’s Soul" is written by former Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police officer Michael Fanone.

At one point in the book, the former officer, who was brutally assaulted by the angry mob, recounted an exchange that took place between Graham and law enforcement.

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In a meeting that transpired four hours after the Capitol riots began on Jan 6, 2021, Graham reportedly said, “You guys should have shot them all in the head,” adding, “We gave you guys guns, and you should have used them. I don’t understand why that didn’t happen."

Per Politico, Fanone responded by saying, "he told Graham he appreciated the enthusiasm but noted the officers had rules governing the use of deadly force.

The group had been going office-to-office asking Republican senators to support a bipartisan Jan. 6 investigative commission. Republican senators ultimately filibustered the bill that would have established that independent panel."

Fanone also recalled a warning issued by Graham. The Republican lawmaker is also said to have threatened to end a meeting with the grieving mother of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick if she continued to publicly criticize former President Donald Trump.

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In the aftermath of the Capitol insurrection, Fanone has become a fierce public critic of the Republican Party, its hypocrisy regarding the Capitol riots, and lawmakers' repeated attempts to publicly downplay the unrest that transpired on that deadly day.

Prior to the 2020 presidential election, Graham was critical of Trump but ultimately pivoted and became one of his biggest defenders.

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