Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) got in a heated exchange with NBC's Kristen Welker over President Joe Biden's threat to stop supplying arms Israel with weapons if an invasion of Rafah proceeds, RadarOnline.com has learned.
On Meet the Press on Sunday, Mediaite reports, Welker asked Graham why he objects to Biden's decision when Ronald Reagan threatened to withhold arms shipments to put pressure on Israel.
“President Biden is not the first president to use arms shipments to try to influence Israeli policy,” Welker said. “As you know, former President Ronald Reagan on multiple occasions withheld weapons to impact Israel’s military actions. Did President Reagan show that using U.S. military aid as leverage can actually be an effective way to rein in and impact Israel’s policy?”
“When you’re telling the world you’re going to restrict weapons delivery to the Jewish state, who is fighting a war for their survival, it emboldens Iran,” Graham replied. “It emboldens Hamas. [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar is probably juiced up on the idea. There’s daylight between the United States and Israel. The hostage deal is harder. This is the worst decision in the history of the US-Israel relationship to deny weapons at a time the Jewish state could be destroyed.”
“Historians would say, why is it OK for Reagan to do it and not President Biden?” Welker said.
“Why is it OK for America to drop two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end their existential threat war?” Graham responded. “Why was it OK for us to do that? I thought it was OK. To Israel: Do whatever you have to do to survive as a Jewish state! Whatever you have to do!”
“Again, military officials say the technology has changed,” Welker said.
“These military officials that you’re talking about are full of c---!” Graham fired back.
Donald Trump has also slammed Biden for suspending arms shipments to Israel, saying that any Jewish Americans who vote for Biden should be "ashamed of themselves" and "have their heads examined."
CNN anchor Jake Tapper and The Daily Show's Jon Stewartboth criticized Trump for his comments.
Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free.
Earlier this month, Lindsey Graham slammed the recent pro-Palestine campus protests at American colleges and universities, claiming that student proesters are either "dumb-----" or "terrorist sympathizers."