Right-wing Republicans slammed aid to Ukraine even as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the U.S. Wednesday for a historic visit seeking more help to repel the brutal Russian invasion.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, denounced Zelenskyy as America’s “shadow president” and Ukraine as the “51st state” in an ugly outburst against the key U.S. ally.
Greene, R-Ga., also trashed Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell on Wednesday as a turncoat who is pushing a massive compromise end-of-year spending bill so “he can hand a $47 BILLION check” to Zelenskyy.
“It’s like the American people are raped everyday at the hands of their own elected leaders,” Greene tweeted.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., critically told her followers that the spending bill includes billions for Ukraine. “Yes, really,” she added.
Donald Trump Jr. took an even harsher line at Zelenskyy, who is likely to receive a rapturous reception from the majority of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
“Zelensky(y) is basically an ungrateful international welfare queen,” the former president’s son tweeted.
Mainstream Republican leaders have mostly lined up behind President Joe Biden’s effort to back Zelenskyy, a push that would appear to be firmly in line with historic GOP backing of a muscular American foreign policy.
McConnell welcomed Zelenskyy with open arms and has vowed to continue to keep up the support, noting that the U.S. has a key geopolitical interest in countering Russia.
“The Ukrainian people are courageous and innocent and they deserve our help,” McConnell said on Capitol Hill. “But the most basic reasons for continuing to help Ukraine degrade and defeat the Russian invaders are cold, hard, practical American interests.”
But the MAGA wing of the party has mostly demanded that the U.S. keep Ukraine at arm’s length and some have made little effort to distance themselves from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Several Republican lawmakers argued against supporting Ukraine in the first place, saying the only way to end the war quickly was to persuade Zelenskyy to cave to Putin’s demands for surrender.
MAGA figures have grown louder in opposing aid to Ukraine as the war continues even though the effort appears to have been surprisingly successful in repelling the Russian invasion.
Former President Trump himself hailed Putin as he unleashed the invasion. He has been chilly toward Zelenskyy ever since he faced impeachment over his effort to bully the Ukrainian leader into helping him dig up dirt on then-presidential rival Joe Biden.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who needs the votes of pro-Trump firebrands to become speaker of the House, has sought to tiptoe around the issue.
He told GOP lawmakers that there would be no “blank check” for Ukraine but has steered clear of harsh criticism of Zelenskyy and avoided repeating pro-Putin talking points.
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