Key Republicans have savaged senior MAGA figure Lindsey Graham after a Fox News interview where he called for more U.S. military intervention in Trump’s war.
The South Carolina senator, 70, appeared on Sunday with Shannon Bream, where he quickly flipped from discussing voter ID laws to sharing his views on escalating America’s ongoing war with Iran.
That included suggesting Trump green-light further military action at Kharg Island. The island, located 20 miles off Iran’s northern Gulf coast, is the country’s economic lifeline, handling up to 95 percent of its crude oil exports.
Trump gleefully posted after U.S. forces “obliterated” military targets on the island on March 13. He has also threatened to “wipe out” the oil infrastructure on the island.
Bream asked Graham what would happen if Trump’s war did not end soon, noting the American people were “nervous” and that even some of his supporters have said the conflict does not need to continue.
“Here’s what I’d tell President Trump,” Graham said. “Keep it up for a few more weeks, take Kharg Island, where all of the resources they have to produce oil (are). Control that island. Let this regime die on a vine.”
Graham said he “did not know” if attacking Kharg Island would involve U.S. troops on the ground.
Bream read Graham part of an article from The Atlantic on Sunday, which warned that if American troops were deployed to the island, they would endure ballistic-missile strikes, drone attacks and petrochemical smoke, with no reliable means of getting logistical support.
“The result could be a grinding war of attrition,” the publication said, pointing out how far troops would be from resupplying arsenal.
Graham ignored the warning, saying he was “tired of this armchair quarterbacking.”
“This has been an amazing military operation,” he continued. “God bless the fallen.” At least 13 U.S. service members have died so far.
When Bream pushed back, he cut her off saying, “No, I trust the marines, not that guy (in The Atlantic), I trust DOD, we got two marine expeditionary units sailing to this island. We did Iwo Jima, we can do this, my money is always on the marines.”
U.S. Marines invaded Iwo Jima, a strategic air base between the Mariana Islands and Japan, in February 1945. After five weeks, nearly 7,000 U.S. Marines were killed and 20,000 were wounded.
Graham’s claims, and the comparisons of Kharg Island and the lethal military campaign, were quickly slammed by members of his own party and other key MAGA voices.
Florida Republican, and Air Force veteran Anna Paulina Luna called Graham out on her X account.
“I am deeply upset at the lack of respect for life Senator Lindsey Graham is displaying when talking about our troops. He is acting as if they are expendable cattle. This is unacceptable and dark.”
Congresswoman Nancy Mace said Graham “needs to be removed” from the Situation Room after his latest comments on the right-wing network, arguing, “I don’t want to hear one word from a guy with no kids.”
Conservative broadcaster Megyn Kelly, who recently attacked another senior Trump ally Mark Levin, replied “YES” to Mace’s post and “THANK YOU” to Luna’s post.
Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett pointed out, “We lost 7000 Marines and 20,000 were wounded.”
Right-wing media figures were also quick to call out Graham. Conservative commentator and podcast host Matt Walsh questioned why Graham had become the White House’s “top spokesman” for this war.
“It’s extremely troubling that Graham has so much influence with the administration and has been so empowered to speak on its behalf,” Walsh said, claiming he is “not conservative” and “clearly wants this war to continue indefinitely and doesn’t care how many Americans die in the process”
Walsh added, “He should have no influence and no say over anything. He’s one of the worst people in all of congress and that includes the Democrats.”
Former Infowars host Owen Shroyer asked, “Why is Lindsey Graham doing nightly Fox News segments selling this war?”
Jack Posobiec, a contributor to Turning Point USA, shared a clip of Graham talking about Kharg Island on Fox and said “40% casualty rate. Over 80% for some units.”
The Daily Beast has contacted a rep for Graham for comment.
While Trump has yet to reveal his plans for Kharg Island, one aide told Axios Axios a potential invasion could result from the impassability of the Strait of Hormuz.
“He wants Hormuz open. If he has to take Kharg Island to make it happen, that’s going to happen. If he decides to have a coastal invasion, that’s going to happen. But that decision hasn’t been made,” they said.
