Lindsey Graham told an officer who was beaten with a flag pole during the Capitol attack that he should have shot rioters 'in the head,' new book reveals

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images

• Lindsey Graham reportedly told officers they should have shot Jan. 6 rioters "in the head," Politico reported citing a new book by Michael Fanone.
• "I don't understand why that didn't happen," Graham said, per the book obtained by the outlet.
• The comments were made during a meeting with a group of officers in May 2021, Politico reported. 

Lindsey Graham offered advice about how officers should have responded during the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol attack, saying they should have shot the rioters in the head, according to a new book obtained by Politico. 

The outlet reported that the GOP South Carolina senator made the remarks during a meeting with the group last May. 

"You guys should have shot them all in the head," Graham said, per former DC police officer Michael Fanone's book "Hold the Line: The Insurrection and One Cop's Battle for America's Soul," which is set to publish on Oct. 11.

"We gave you guys guns, and you should have used them," Graham added, per the book. "I don't understand why that didn't happen."

According to Politico, the family of the late officer Brian Sicknick as well as Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Fanone, were present during the exchange. Fanone, who was stun-gunned and beaten with a flag pole during the insurrection, responded to Graham saying that officers had to follow the rules regarding using deadly force. 

Pro-Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol building as Congress was certifying the 2020 presidential election. The attack prompted lawmakers to evacuate as rioters attacked police and pushed their way into the historic building. 

A Washington Post report revealed that Graham, who backed Trump's baseless claims about the election, snapped at officers at the scene during the chaotic attack. 

"He yelled at the Senate sergeant-at-arms. 'What are you doing? Take back the Senate! You've got guns. Use them,'" Graham said, according to the outlet.