Fox News host Sean Hannity suggested Wednesday that the U.S. assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin for his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Hannity began the segment calling Putin a “murdering thug” that must be stopped by whatever means necessary. He then claimed the Russian leader has forfeited his “right to live” for the thousands of civilian casualties, among those being “children and women.”
“It’s a simple rule in life. If you invade an innocent country and you kill women and children and men, you forfeit your right to lead a country and you forfeit your right to live. And I hope the people around Vladimir Putin take action sooner than later.”
“Now currently the U.S. operates under a decades-old executive order signed by [former President] Gerald Ford that prohibits the U.S. government employees from engaging in political assassinations. But my final question tonight is when it comes to Putin, is it now time to visit the rule? My rule I like better. New rule. You invade a sovereign country, you kill innocent men, women and children, you forfeit your right to run a country and you forfeit your life to live. It’s that simple.”
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“Cut off the head of the snake, the snake dies,” Hannity concluded. (RELATED: ‘It’s Too Stupid’: Tucker Carlson Fires Back At Critics Who Call Him ‘A Pawn Of Putin’)
Ford signed Executive Order 11905 into effect on Feb. 18, 1976, which prohibits any member of the U.S. government from conspiring in foreign and political assassination attempts. The order was later superseded by former President Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, whose executive orders only differed slightly.
Since Russia’s Feb. 25 invasion, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service recorded over 2,000 Ukrainian civilian deaths as of Wednesday. The service said, “children, women and defense forces are losing their lives by the hour.”
Russian troops successfully took over the Ukrainian city Kherson Wednesday, a port city with over 280,000 residents.