The White House on Friday sought to distance itself from Sen. Lindsey Graham's earlier call for the assassination of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"That is not the position of the United States government and certainly not a statement you'd hear come from the mouth of anybody in this administration," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during an afternoon news briefing. She re-emphasized that Biden believes there is still a diplomatic path forward if Putin opts to go that route, even though the violent attacks have ramped up this week.
But, she concluded, "no, we are not advocating for killing the leader of a foreign country or regime change. That is not the policy of the United States."
Graham said Thursday that perhaps the only way the Russian invasion of Ukraine would end "is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out."
His comments brought immediate rebukes, even from some Republicans who felt the remarks were not helpful and would only serve to stoke tensions worldwide. He has walked back his comments.
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