Report: Lindsey Graham Told Police To Use Guns Against Capitol Rioters

Lindsey Graham urged police officers to use their guns during the January 6th riot at the Capitol, pressing them to “take back the Senate!”

The quotes, since confirmed to Fox News by the senator’s office, surfaced in a new Washington Post investigative report detailing the events of that day.

Graham, according to the report, was livid that senators had been forced to flee their chambers due to protesters that had entered the Capitol.

“What are you doing? Take back the Senate! You’ve got guns. Use them,” he told police personnel.

“We give you guns for a reason,” added Graham at the time. “Use them.”

Gallego: Lindsey Graham is a hypocrite, a liar, and a coward all wrapped up into one human being. pic.twitter.com/e26G9zTPPV

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 31, 2021

RELATED: Report: Documents Show Ashli Babbitt Unarmed, Judicial Watch Says ‘No Good Reason’ For Shooting

Lindsey Graham Yelled At Capitol Police To Use Their Guns

The Washington Post revealing that Lindsey Graham pressed police officers to use their guns against Capitol protesters doesn’t waver too far from comments he made the day after the riot.

On January 7th, Graham had said that “warning shots” and “lethal force should have been used once they’d penetrated the seat of government.”

He noted the unknown in what was involved with some protesters bringing backpacks into the Capitol.

“Yesterday they could have blown the building up. They could have killed us all,” he said.

‘Yesterday, they could have blown the building up. They could have killed us all’ — Lindsey Graham joins bipartisan anger over Capitol vulnerabilities pic.twitter.com/M7TmbNB1B6

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) January 7, 2021

The South Carolina Republican’s communications director confirmed the statements.

“Graham was quite clear on this point, noting that the backpacks and other items brought into the Capitol could have contained bombs and explosives. The damage could have been much, much worse,” he said.

19/ (Almost passed this over, but a stunning anecdote about Lindsey Graham) pic.twitter.com/1dxrGfW9rQ

— Justin Hendrix (@justinhendrix) November 1, 2021

RELATED: Goodbye: Anti-Trump Rep. Adam Kinzinger Won’t Seek Reelection

‘No Good Reason’ For Shooting

Capitol Police officer Lieutenant Michael Byrd did use his gun during the riot, shooting unarmed Air Force veteran Ashley Babbitt as she attempted to climb through broken glass into the chamber.

The Political Insider reported that internal documents from DC Metropolitan Police, obtained through a FOIA lawsuit by the conservative group Judicial Watch, show witnesses had not seen Babbitt holding a weapon and provide conflicting reports as to whether she was verbally warned before being fired upon by Byrd.

Lt. Michael Byrd would have been charged for manslaughter — if not murder — had he shot Ashli Babbitt in Texas.

She was unarmed and presented no threat to herself or the officer.

HER MURDER WAS UNJUSTIFIED.https://t.co/f2nb5yrCMY #FoxNews

— Congressman Troy Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) October 13, 2021

The revelation prompted Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton to declare there was “no good reason” to shoot Babbitt.

Four months after the Capitol riot, Lindsey Graham defended former President Donald Trump, warning the GOP it would be a mistake to erase him from the party.

Lindsey Graham on Trump: “The people who are trying to erase him are going to wind up getting erased.” pic.twitter.com/oNxbjOLeF5

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 11, 2021

“The most popular Republican in America—it’s not Lindsey Graham, is not Liz Cheney, it’s Donald Trump,” Graham said in a Fox News interview.

“To try to erase Donald Trump from the Republican party is insane,” he added. “And the people who try to erase him are going to wind up getting erased.”

As senators fled on Jan. 6, an irate Sen. Lindsey Graham shouted at the senate sergeant-at-arms: “What are you doing? Take back the Senate! You’ve got guns. Use them.” This and more about what happened During the attack from chap. 2 of the Post’s series. https://t.co/OdToxdf9Kt

— Rosalind Helderman (@PostRoz) November 1, 2021

An hour into rioters having entered the Capitol, Graham was also reportedly pleading with Ivanka Trump that the President needed to make a speech to get the protesters to leave.

“You need to get these people out of here,” the report quotes him as saying to Ivanka. “This thing is going south. This is not good. You’re going to have to tell these people to stand down. Stand down.”