Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) responded to the recent terror attacks faced by U.S. ally Israel by suggesting in an appearance on Fox News that the Middle Eastern country “level” the Gaza Strip, where the perpetrators — the terror group Hamas — operate.
Actually doing so would kill Palestinians who had nothing to do with the deaths recently seen in Israel, where Hamas terrorists infiltrated and committed atrocities. “Let me level with you: no Jewish constituent I have or leader I know is calling for leveling Gaza and killing innocent Palestinians,” Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said on X (Twitter). “Calling for the slaughter of innocent Gazans makes you no better than the Hamas terrorists who butchered innocent Jews.”
Somehow, Graham’s bizarre diatribe isn’t even the only startling language to recently emerge from the Republican Party. Former President Donald Trump, who remains the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024 as he dominates in polling and enjoys widespread support from Republicans in elected office, called some of the terrorists who’ve targeted Israel “smart.” He wasn’t morally endorsing their aims, instead trying to characterize the groups as strategically impressive — which is also ridiculous. Just like the violence in Ukraine originating with Russian President Vladimir Putin to which the former U.S. president has bizarrely applied the same description, what has the terrorism even brought but more bloodshed? How does someone potentially this gravely out of touch have any business returning to power, as Trump is attempting?
“After Hamas slaughters hundreds of Jewish families, and Israel confronts an unprecedented security crisis, Donald Trump attacks the Israeli govt and praises Hezbollah terrorists. Are Republicans really going to nominate this dangerous man to be President of the United States?” former Congresswoman Liz Cheney asked. It appears the answer’s yes. Some of the Republicans ostensibly challenging Trump in the primary haven’t even seemed that serious with their opposition, frequently sidestepping opportunities to directly confront him on substantive issues. Most of the most known contenders indicated they’d support Trump if he was the nominee even if he was convicted of felonies.
Let me level with you: no Jewish constituent I have or leader I know is calling for leveling Gaza and killing innocent Palestinians.
Calling for the slaughter of innocent Gazans makes you no better than the Hamas terrorists who butchered innocent Jews. https://t.co/CRNtyho8mu
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) October 12, 2023
