Lindsey Graham says he owns a semi-automatic rifle in case of apocalyptic lawlessness so looters know "not to come to the AR-15 home"

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Lindsay Graham

• Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham says he owns an AR-15 rifle to defend himself during a state of lawlessness or other apocalyptic scenarios.
• In comments first posted on Twitter by a Voice of America reporter, Graham said onboard Air Force One he had the semi-automatic rifle in case "there's a hurricane, a natural disaster, no power, no cops, no anything."
• He noted looters would know not "to come to the AR-15 home."
• Republicans have faced growing calls to pass stricter gun control laws, though an assault weapons ban is likely off the table.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham says he owns the AR-15 to defend himself during a state of lawlessness or other apocalyptic scenarios, reciting one of his favorite lines to indicate his staunch defense of gun rights after two deadly shootings killed 31 people last weekend.

In comments first posted on Twitter by a Voice of America reporter, Graham said onboard Air Force One he had the semi-automatic rifle in case "there's a hurricane, a natural disaster, no power, no cops, no anything." He noted looters would know not "to come to the AR-15 home."

"I think if you show up on the porch with an AR-15 they'll probably go down in the street," Graham reportedly said.

Graham has previously noted his defense of gun rights by citing his AR-15 ownership. In 2015, Graham posted a tweet of himself at a gun range firing the AR-15 in Greenville, South Carolina.

Back in 2013 during a Senate hearing on gun control after the mass shooting that killed 26 people in Newtown, Connecticut, Graham said he owned an AR-15 and expressed hesitation to restrict the rights of gun owners. The South Carolina lawmaker pointed out that citizens could suddenly be thrown into a lawless nightmare scenario.

"You could find yourself in this country in a lawless environment from a natural disaster or a riot," Graham said. "I have an AR-15 at home, and I haven't hurt anybody, and I don't intend to do it."

Read more: Parkland, Florida, and the deadliest shootings in US history all have one thing in common

The AR-15 has been the weapon of choice for many mass shooters in recent years, according to USA Today. In the Sunday shooting in Dayton, Ohio, the shooter used an AR-15 style pistol, killing 9 people and injuring 27 more people in 30 seconds before police fatally shot him, NPR reported.

Republicans have faced growing calls to pass stricter gun control laws, though an assault-weapons ban is likely off the table. Instead, they are exploring passing so-called red flag laws that would allow law enforcement to take guns away people deemed dangerous, as well as expanded background checks.