Graham blames Capitol Police for not using lethal force on more rioters

[brooklynite]

Source: NBC News

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close ally of Trump, told reporters that he believes "there's more votes for acquittal after today than there was yesterday" after the House manager's gripping presentation on Wednesday.

"Because hypocrisy is pretty large for these people, standing up to, you know, rioters when they came to my house, Susan Collins' house, I think this is a very hypocritical presentation by the House," Graham said.

He also blamed Capitol Police officers for not having used lethal force against more rioters.

"I got mad. I mean, these police officers had every right to use deadly force. They should have used it," he said. "The people in charge of securing the Capitol let the country down."

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/live-blog/2021-02-11-trump-impeachment-trial-live-updates-n1257308/ncrd1257406?cid=sm_npd_ms_tw_ma#liveBlogHeader

[Walleye]

1. Sickening bloodlust

[AllTooEasy]

32. If the rioters were Black, Linsey would have had his wish

Blacks wouldn't have made it to the steps. Pathetic example of White Privilege.

[Walleye]

35. Absolutely! I guess Lindsay would like it if some other members got shot in the crossfire as wel

[Irish_Dem]

2. One officer said he knew that if he started shooting into the crowd his gun would be taken away

from him and used to kill him.

Why are American's top leaders so stupid and evil?

What does it say about us as a country?

[Generic Other]

4. THIS

OMG yes...

[Sucha NastyWoman]

6. Makes perfect sense to me

How can anyone give any weight to anything Lindsey says?

[Irish_Dem]

8. Good point. The ass hat pulled me in again.

[ananda]

40. That's because he is a kompromised, racist ass hat.

It makes me so fucking angry when they do that!

[Irish_Dem]

43. Yep. Exactly.

[DENVERPOPS]

79. Still makes me wonder

what Kompromat Trump/Putin have on him, that makes him Trump's most devoted lap poodle........
Everyone knows he's a closeted gay man. So what can it be?????

[ananda]

84. Maybe he just can't be anything else...

stuck on the dark side with nowhere else to go...
so to soeak.

[Maeve]

11. This...they were over-run as it was

Adding more firepower would have escalated the violence all around. Some of the rioters were armed, too.

[Irish_Dem]

14. But of course Lindsey G is now an expert in LE tactics and riot control.

The police were greatly outnumbered and you cannot just start shooting into a mob with out proper back up.

[AllTooEasy]

34. Then why did the mob not fire back when Ashli Babbitt was shot in the head?

Instead they scattered, which is the natural reaction.

[Irish_Dem]

41. The shooter was behind a door, they couldn't get to him.

[Maeve]

46. And a tactical unit had just started to arrive, so the odds had shifted.

Went back to the tapes to make sure my memory on this was correct

[oldsoftie]

81. I never saw any pictures of any with firearms.

[Maeve]

85. Quick google brought up this:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-protest-cases-insight/arrested-capitol-rioters-had-guns-and-bombs-everyday-careers-and-olympic-medals-idUSKBN29J2V8

[oldsoftie]

99. I still dont see one.

Guy closest to the camera has something in front of him but it doesnt look like a gun.

[Maeve]

102. Read the article--not everything is in pictures

[oldsoftie]

107. Ok, it says ONE guy was caught leaving had a handgun. The others were elsewhere.

The worst arrested werent part of the attackers that got into the capitol bldg. But people being armed is why the COPS are armed. The point is that if they'd fired on them as soon as they got violent trying to get in, 99% of them would have turned tail and fled. And the ones that didnt, well too bad for them. You have to draw a line somewhere. As i said elsewhere, another reason i couldnt be a cop.

[Maeve]

108. My dad WAS a cop. We have quite different perspectives.

Also, I said "armed" originally--that is not limited to firearms. There were a variety of weapons in the crowd.

[underpants]

18. Yes. He said in an interview that he'd have liked to say

To the people who helped him “Thank you and F you for being here”

[Irish_Dem]

19. Yes I remember that.

I think he is the one who finally said to the mob, I have kids at home and they left him alone then.

[underpants]

22. Yep. That was him.

[SunSeeker]

94. Yup, that was Officer Michael Fanone.

https://www.businessinsider.com/cop-capitol-rioters-who-helped-thansk-f-you-being-there-2021-1

[modrepub]

29. They're Untrained Armchair Warriors

Use of deadly force is going to elicit a response from those you apply it to. Cooler, smarter and better trained individuals prevailed on January 6th.

[pazzyanne]

45. + 1 nt

[Irish_Dem]

50. Their training and good judgement saved the day, and lives.

Of course Lindsey knows better.

[Walleye]

37. Yes that's what I was thinking. Why provide them with a weapon if they didn't bring one

[Rebl2]

48. Or the

Mob could have pulled their own guns and tasers and killed capital police and possibly senators and congresswomen and men had capital police tried to shoot at the mob. Capital police were outnumbered plain and simple and I think it was purposely done by someone.

[LuckyLib]

75. Penalties for carrying weapons in DC are very harsh. It's a federal offense, no

slap on the wrist. I think their social media would show examples of folks telling others, "Don't bring a weapon." Or if they did, they left them in their vehicles.

[oldsoftie]

80. Thast not usually what happens. Shoot the first ones & the rest take off.

not to mention there was more than just ONE officer there

[Snoopy 7]

103. they aren't stupid

Don't forget the FBI warned them of the dangers these rioters were capable of therefor, Lindsey already knew what the FBI had reported. The question should be why didn't Lindsey do anything to protect our Democracy from these same rioters. He also knew that the trump administration not only changed the date, time and route for the protesters (it wasn't initially set for the 6th) he did nothing as the trump administration add fueled the fire with the verbal assault trump spewed that very day and for the last year of prepping the fire.

[Uncle Joe]

111. Because they have been riding that tiger of lies; aka Trumpism for so long

they would rather Panthera tigris destroy the village than risk getting off and being politically consumed for their self serving treachery.

[Generic Other]

3. SPEECHLESS

A real amazing moment when you render me speechless.

[mr_lebowski]

5. OK Lemmiwinks (nt)

[thucythucy]

7. "...rioters when they came to my house, Susan Collin's house..."

Did I miss something here?

People broke into those houses, smashed windows, trashed furniture, smeared shit on the walls, threated to hang the occupants, and murdered someone in the process, and none of us heard anything about it?

Or could this be just another hysterical rant from Leningrad Lindsey?

[Irish_Dem]

9. He clearly has a drinking problem.

And just makes it up as he goes.
Then cannot remember what he said the day before.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. What an asshole!

He basically shamed the Capitol Police; victim shaming; oh so, republican.

[Hekate]

12. Spineless limp worm lusts for blood. Considering his proclivity for attaching himself to strong men

...maybe he’s a leech.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

13. The CP were outnumbered, Lindsey!!!

OMG! Did Graham not hear the cries from the Capitol Police they needed backup?

Dumbass is too kind a word to describe Lindsey Graham.

[BlueStater]

15. He holds the police accountable but not Trump?

Fuck you, Lindsey.

[AllTooEasy]

30. I hold the police accountable too, because if the rioters were Black

...they would have used deadly force after we hopped over the first barricade. Insurrection Over! Rioters would have scattered, just like they scattered after a Capital Hill cop short Ashli Babbitt in the head.

To be honest, I would have unloaded my clip on those Trump Insurrectionists without any hesitation. Better several of them than 1 dead officer at the scene, two by suicide, and 100+ officers with significant injuries.

[orangecrush]

54. Uh huh

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

78. "Back the Blue"- yeah, right....

with Graham, it's like "back over the blue" after first throwing them under the bus.

Not surprised I'm reading he often seems intoxicated as being Trump's main butt-kissing water carrier likely gives him a severe case of self-loathing.

I echo BlueStater's sentiments in giving a big F you to Graham.

[Clearly fogged in]

92. That says it all

The blame is always on whoever was supposed to be watching the help.

[Ferrets are Cool]

16. I am seldom speechless, but this one leaves me in that state.

[C_U_L8R]

17. Trump wanted a massacre (of his own mob)

then he could have invoked martial law.

Perhaps they deserved to get mowed down on the steps, but Trump was using his ginned-up mob as patsies so he could hold onto power (and ultimately stay out of prison). I think we're fortunate that events did not spin totally out of control. That's where evil like Trump really thrives.

[Deuxcents]

21. I agree

I’m glad I read your post before I made a comment b/c I’m just too angry with this man

[BumRushDaShow]

20. As much as McCain was a pain in the behind

I certainly miss him because he was one of the few who could rein in, control, and muzzle Graham.

[Irish_Dem]

23. I am coming to the conclusion that Lindsey is drunk most of the time.

He was clearly intoxicated the night of the insurrection.
He just babbled that night. And he babbles every day.
Just making up stuff.

[The Roux Comes First]

24. Anyone With a Modicum of Sense Cannot Help But Realize That Would Have Been a Suicide Move

Very much akin to a vest-wearing bomber or a person wanting someone else to help them die.

Of course that original condition leaves the field wide open for Graham.

[Old Terp]

58. The DC National Guard was required to be unarmed, didn't have vests and other safety

equipment. They also had a ton of additional restrictions. They weren't even allowed to go in until very late in the
game. If I recall correctly, I think the Capitol Police were also under armed. They sure weren't in riot gear. So here we have a real terrorists attack and the law enforcement is not equipped to shut them down. And we all know why that is.

[IronLionZion]

25. This is how GOP backs the blue by throwing cops under the bus

time for police to turn against the GOP. Graham is such an asshole, wanting more death because he's pro-life.

[riversedge]

33. Graham just threw the #bluelivesmatter police under the bus

[BootinUp]

26. Graham is just a coward.

And that’s all I have to say.

[rickyhall]

27. Expert on & king of hypocrisy.

[NickB79]

28. I guarantee there were more insurrectionists with guns than police that day

The only thing that stopped a bloodbath that day was the Capital police holding their fire. Unless the police had access to M4's and a lot of extra magazines, they would have been outgunned.

[riversedge]

31. "The people in charge of securing the Capitol let the country down.".....

So, Lindsey is upset--the boys in blue did not please him when they came to his house-or Collins.




............Live Blog

Frank Thorp V
6h ago / 10:21 AM CST
Graham blames Capitol Police for not using lethal force on more rioters

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/live-blog/2021-02-11-trump-impeachment-trial-live-updates-n1257308/ncrd1257406?cid=sm_npd_ms_tw_ma#liveBlogHeader

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close ally of Trump, told reporters that he believes "there's more votes for acquittal after today than there was yesterday" after the House manager's gripping presentation on Wednesday.

"Because hypocrisy is pretty large for these people, standing up to, you know, rioters when they came to my house, Susan Collins' house, I think this is a very hypocritical presentation by the House," Graham said.

He also blamed Capitol Police officers for not having used lethal force against more rioters.

"I got mad. I mean, these police officers had every right to use deadly force. They should have used it," he said. "The people in charge of securing the Capitol let the country down."...............

[Walleye]

39. Lindsey, trump was in charge of the defense department.

[oasis]

36. Graham's a pathetic psycho. I've seen Peter Lorre play similar roles in film. nt

[LeftInTX]

38. Maybe because Trump's DOD didn't help them???

What a goon!!!!

[LiberalFighter]

42. Says the idiot that served in the military but never saw action.

[LiberalFighter]

44. And Thorp didn't bother including anything to rebut Lindsey's statement. All one sided.

[SCantiGOP]

47. My email to Graham, the filthy coward

Not that it will matter one bit, but here is the rage text I sent to that sniveling piece of excrement that represents me in the Senate:

Did you actually say that the Capitol Police let the country down by not doing a better job of defending the building against the rabid right wing mob that your hero Trump sent to assassinate members of Congress?
You have reached a new low. I realize that you have your precious seat for another 6 years, and that means more to you than your integrity, soul, or dedication to the United States, but I cannot express how much pure disgust I feel for you. You are truly a pathetic human being.

[twin_ghost]

49. Oh Sure, The American Public Would support a massacre. NOT!

Jesus H. Christ.

[secondwind]

51. Weren't the NG stripped of all sorts of stuff before they went in?

[yuiyoshida]

52. yEAH MAYBE you need a firing squad since you tried to

say the election was not LEGIT!! FUCK you Lindsey Grahm.

[orangecrush]

53. Shut up, Graham.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

71. Shut.the.fuck.up.Lindsey.

Go back to South Carolina, sit on your veranda sipping sweetened tea, and leave the rest of the country to the adults.

Had the officers opened fire, it would have shut the Capitol completely down for the rest of the day, so the Senate would not have been able to complete the counting of the electoral votes and certifying Biden as winner.

But that's what your Lord and Master Herr T**** wanted you to do, wasn't it?

Just when I think Lindsey or any of the rest of the Q-GOP co-conspirators can't sink any lower, they strap on extra scuba tanks and down they go.

[NurseJackie]

55. Land! Brace yourselves for another hissy fit. He's going to clinch his fists and...

... stomp his way up the marble stairs in his brand new, high-gloss, patent leather shoes. Click click click! Lordy mercy! It does appear to me that the delicately mannered Southern Gentleman from South Carolina is so angry that he has worked up a sweat. See how his forehead glistens. Before you know it, he'll storm off to his room, slam the door behind him. Next, he'll hop up on his sister's canopy bed and start pulling the heads off of all her dollies. He gets mean and destructive when he's mad.

I got mad. I mean, these police officers had every right to use deadly force.

Good grief! Listen to him trying to talk tough! What a joke! He's just a spoiled little boy trying to convince everyone he's a macho man... but inside, he's a temperamental child... a privileged brat... living a very sheltered overly-protected life. He answers to nobody and thinks he can get away with anything.

Perhaps that's true... he answers to nobody and gets away with a lot... for now. But surely that can't last forever. It's only a matter of time before his luck runs out. Tick-tock, Mr. "G". Tick. Tock.

[Ohioboy]

56. And what were they supposed to do when they ran out of bullets?

That mob was huge. Lindsey Graham is stupid. Graham is basically afraid to stand up to Trump and the mob, but he wants the Capitol Police to protect his ass from them.

[keithbvadu2]

57. Say it plain, Lindsey... Do you approve the killing of Trump terrorist Ashli Babbitt?

Say it plain, Lindsey... Do you approve the killing of Trump terrorist Ashli Babbitt?

These are Trump's people.

[timms139]

59. And did he pull

those thoughts out of his nose while off screen ?

[nature-lover]

60. Hypocrisy is his specialty.

[Rabrrrrrr]

62. So because the police didn't shoot people, Trump should be allowed to walk free? That's GOP logic

Totally GOP logic.

[marble falls]

63. He wanted a bloodbath so Trump could call martial law.

[WheelWalker]

66. Couldn't agree with you more, comrade. You scooped the thought right out of my brain.

[Jay25]

64. He didn't get the memo, deadly force is usually saved for minorities and liberals.

[Marthe48]

65. You don't often hear of a dictator's Lt.

wanting the dictator's own troops attacked. Guess it just goes to show that lindsey graham is for lindsey graham.

[packman]

67. Asshole

And that sums it up

[BlueIdaho]

68. We'd all be better off if they used lethal force

On him.

[eppur_se_muova]

69. Um, Lindsey ? You're the last person who should be talking about "letting the country down".

It only draws attention to your record in that regard.

[NurseJackie]

101. Lindsey Graham should get down on his KNEES...

... and pray to Lord in Heaven Above that the rest of the country doesn't pay attention to his miserable record in that regard.

It only draws attention to your record in that regard.

You are SO right!

[Piasladic]

70. Good luck, Linsey Graham

When you serve out your term, expect to see a side eye from the Capitol Police, and god help you if things go to hell again.

[Owl]

72. When can we start ignoring this clown?

[niyad]

73. Unlike a number of our classier posters, I am not rendered speechless. But most of my words

would net me a visit from the suits. LG is a waste of resources.

[Turbineguy]

74. He's got a little secret

and trump knows what it is.

[niyad]

76. I keep thinking that it is a very big, very dirty secret, and putin knows it, too.

[oldsoftie]

82. Everyone keeps talking about Lindsays "secret". For decades.

These days, if he REALLY had a horrible one we'd know it. Its not Hollywood in the 50s. Someone would give him up

[Turbineguy]

91. Maybe I'm giving him too much credit.

Like he's acting this way because he's being blackmailed. Where in reality, maybe he's just a low life scumbag.

[oldsoftie]

77. They SHOULD have. Hit the first 3-5 through the door & thats the end of it.

Especially that poor guy we see getting crushed in the door. I would have emptied my weapon.
Another reason i could never be a cop I guess.

[Mary Mac]

83. WTF????

[Crowman2009]

86. Yet if the Capitol Police did use lethal force, Graham Cracker would throw a shit fit about...

...these terrorists being innocent bystanders and that the Capitol Police caused the violence. You can't win with this two-faced SOB!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

87. Yep

Leningrad Lindsey flip flops like a jellyfish.

[Lucky Luciano]

88. Hah - I agree with Lindsey.

They should have been fully armed and ready, but they weren’t...by design.

[George II]

89. republicans - the party of death.

[maxsolomon]

90. LOL, he never quits.

Always craven, always redirecting, always projecting.

He should be happy they didn't shoot the rabble.

[mysteryowl]

93. I wondered myself why the CP did not shoot the rioters.

There must be a science/process about rioting mobs and shooting people would not have helped anything or they would have.

[SunSeeker]

95. Officer Michael Fanone explained why he did not use deadly force.

Start at about 1:20 into this video:

Officer Fanone said they were outnumbered 50 to 15,000. He knew that if he started shooting, he might kill a few, buy then the crowd would take his gun away and they would use his lethal force as an excuse to kill him right there. At that point it became a matter of self-preservation. He figured his best shot at surviving was to appeal to their humanity, he told them he had kids. It worked...some rioters stepped in to stop others who were beating and tazing him.

[mysteryowl]

96. I figured there was a good answer for it.

Now he, was in the middle of 100's of rioters. I wonder what the thinking was for those CP that had a line at the so-called beginning.

In the end, the CP did protect and defend ALL the capital staff. Amazing!!! Truly a miracle.

[SunSeeker]

97. They probably thought the same thing as Fanone.

They were immediately outnumbered and outflanked. And they could see the rioters had weapons.

[Smackdown2019]

98. They DID USE DEADLY FORCE!

Remember the veteran woman from California that died? She was shot in the neck and yet they kept on coming in!

[oldsoftie]

100. Not at THAT door they didnt. Watch the video; soon as shes shot they turn.

I'm sorry, but i dont care who is doing the attacking, it must be met with overwhelming force. Otherwise they think they can do it over & over.

[LymphocyteLover]

104. apparently he wanted more, much more

to an certain extent I'm wondering why they stopped shooting people after that first one-- they were willing to use deadly force to stop the invasion of that one area then just gave up?

[moriah]

106. House Members were being evacuated through an exit accessed through the Speaker's Lobby.

The video put together by the Washington Post showing multiple videos/angles of the shooting shows that the crowd saw that Members of Congress were visible down that hallway, and the rioters started attacking the glass and intimidating the officers who were on the crowd-side of the barricaded door to the Speaker's Lobby.

The officer who shot was positioned in the first doorway off the entrance to the Speaker's Lobby, and only shot after Babbitt decided to climb on top of the frame of the broken side glass and put her torso through the broken window. He can be seen with his gun drawn (and if Babbitt could hear, there were multiple people relaying back that an officer had a gun), and had it ready to hit the first person who came through any part of that door. When he can see it's going to be Babbitt that's first through, he is shown to move to target her and then shoot.

And so I'm gathering that his instructions that day was to protect that corridor as well as he could until all the House Members got to safety, then either follow them and continue to protect them, get safe himself (as he was plain-clothes), or get to where he could put on protective gear and continue to help.

-----

After that point, if the employees and MoCs were cleared.... while yeah if it'd been my home, in my state I'd have had the right to shoot someone in the downstairs of my home from the stairwell... sending in a SWAT team to gun all those people in the Senate floor down from the gallery would have probably not played well.

[LymphocyteLover]

112. that makes sense-- thanks!

[moriah]

105. Did "rioters" come *inside* Susan Collin's house, or Graham's house?

I think Graham is just jealous that he hasn't had a real creative protest done on him, like when the gigantic inflatable condom was set over Jesse Helms's house. (No, he wasn't inside, the group made sure first.)

https://www.poz.com/blog/in-memory-of-je

[malthaussen]

109. Now, *that's* victim-shaming on a massive scale! n/t

[BobTheSubgenius]

110. That disgusting, snivelling little pig.

"...let the country down."??? FUCK YOU, you effete, emasculated toady!

Sorry. As you were.

[xxqqqzme]

113. The same reason you don't insult the person bringing your food,

You don't insult the persons responsible for saving you sorry old white ass.

[raccoon]

114. He should be grateful to them for saving his sorry ass. NT