Lindsey Graham slams reporter for Rashida Tlaib question: "Get this guy out of here!"

Tel Aviv, Israel - Senator Lindsey Graham got into a shouting match with a reporter over a charged question concerning Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib's stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.

While speaking at an event in Israel, US Senator Lindsey Graham (r.) got into a heated exchange with a reporter over a charged question about Rep Rashida Tlaib.
While speaking at an event in Israel, US Senator Lindsey Graham (r.) got into a heated exchange with a reporter over a charged question about Rep Rashida Tlaib.  © Collage: SCOTT LEGATO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP & GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP

According to The Daily Beast, US senators recently held a bipartisan press briefing in Tel Aviv. Things got heated when they began taking questions from the audience, however.

Daniel Cohen, a Jerusalem correspondent for the far-right news outlet Newsmax, asked for the Democratic senators onstage to share their thoughts on a controversial social media post Tlaib shared earlier this month, in which she blamed Israel for the bombing of a hospital in Gaza. US intelligence has since announced they do not believe Israel was responsible for the strike.

Tlaib, who is a Palestinian-American, has been vocal about her criticism of Israel's response to the Hamas attacks. This candid outspokenness has not been welcomed by some of her peers in Congress.

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Yet at the press briefing, Graham proceeded to cut the reporter off, shouting," Ah, stop, no, stop!" as Cohen argued back that he believed it was a "fair question."

"I've got my own view of what to say," Graham said. "We are here together, not to talk about the problems at home, which are many. You're not going to screw this up."

Eventually, Graham lost his cool, shouting, "Get this guy out of here!" Israeli security seemingly ignored his request.

Lindsey Graham defends Rashida Tlaib's right to free speech

Graham went on to explain that while he may have differences in opinion with his Democratic colleagues, including Tlaib, he above all "believes in free speech" and that she has every right to express her thoughts and ideas on world events.

"I don't believe what the Squad has to say at all," Graham continued, "but I came here with Democrats and Republicans to let everybody in the world know, don't judge every Democrat by the Squad, and don't judge every Republican by some of the things you hear."

The senator's take is very different from that of many other Republicans, including Marjorie Taylor Greene. MTG has previously described Tlaib as a "Hamas Caucus Leader" and presented a resolution to censure her.

After cooling down, Graham personally apologized to Cohen, stating, "I'm sorry, my friend. I probably shouldn't have said it, but my nerves are raw right now."

Cover photo: Collage: SCOTT LEGATO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP & GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP

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