Lindsey Graham walks back call for Putin’s assassination

Less than 24 hours after calling for Russian president Vladimir Putin’s assassination, South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham has walked back his comments after they elicited outrage from prominent Republicans.

Mr Graham was asked to respond to comments by Russia’s ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, calling a series of tweets posted by the senator late Thursday “unacceptable and outrageous” and demanding an apology.

The senator did not renew his call for Mr Putin’s death, and said instead that the Russian dictator “needs to go to jail”.

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