Sen. Lindsey Graham knocked down the idea of banning semi-automatic weapons nearly identical to those used by soldiers on the off chance a hurricane slams into his South Carolina town.

“Here’s a scenario that I think is real: There’s a hurricane, a natural disaster, no power, no cops, no anything,” the Republican lawmaker told reporters aboard Air Force One.

A reporter asked if he meant looters.

“Yeah, people, they’re not going to come to the AR-15 home,” Graham responded. “Well, I think if you show up on the porch with an AR-15, they’ll probably go down the street.”

Graham attempted to turn back questions about the legality of the guns — which were banned for years in the 1990s before the law expired — to choosing which books to read or movies to watch.

“Why do you need to read what you read, and why do you need to watch the movie that you watch, and play the video games you watch,” the pol said. “I can’t limit — your rights can’t be limited because I don’t understand why you want to do something.”

The Post’s editorial board has repeatedly demanded the restoration of the assault weapons ban in the aftermath of last weekend’s massacres in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, which left 31 people dead and scores more injured.

Democrats and gun safety advocates have also demanded an expansion of background check requirements to cover weapons sold at gun shows.

However, the National Rifle Association remains unbowed and continues to oppose both the ban and background check pushes.