Topline
In a video obtained by a North Carolina TV station, right-wing firebrand Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) announced to a crowd of supporters that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is a “thug” leading a government that is “incredibly evil,” in a sharp break from the generally bipartisan support the country has received in Congress as it battles a Russian invasion.
Key Facts
WRAL-TV published a 13-second clip Thursday of Cawthorn railing against Ukraine and “woke ideologies” he accuses the Zelensky government of pushing.
It's not clear where or when the comments were made, but former White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove (R) mentioned the remarks in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece published Wednesday evening, saying Cawthorn made them at a town hall in Asheville, North Carolina, on Saturday.
The comments fly against the general support Ukraine has been receiving from congressional Republicans, with party leaders like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) voicing support for Ukraine and denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Cawthorn's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes.
Crucial Quote
“Remember that Zelensky is a thug,” Cawthorn said. “Remember the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt and it is incredibly evil and it has been pushing woke ideologies.”
Key Background
During the Trump Administration, Republican lawmakers frequently painted Ukraine as deeply corrupt and they sought to tar Joe Biden and his son Hunter with allegations of misdeeds there during the 2020 presidential campaign. Before Russia invaded Ukraine, there were several prominent right-wing figures, like Fox News host Tucker Carlson, questioning why Americans should support Ukraine in a war. But takes like those have become much rarer since Russia invaded.. Polling suggests Americans across the political spectrum strongly back Ukraine in the war and support sanctions against Russia. Some 77% of Republican respondents in a recent Wall Street Journal poll said they'd support a ban on the import of Russian oil even though it would increase gas prices.
Tangent
Cawthorn is no stranger to attention-getting comments. In 2017, he posted on Instagram about his visit to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s retreat in the German Alps. Cawthorn commented that seeing “the vacation house of the Führer” had been on his“bucket list.”
Further Reading
US Rep. Madison Cawthorn calls Ukrainian president a 'thug' (WRAL-TV)
Republicans Stand Up for Ukraine (Wall Street Journal)
These Conservatives Are Defending Russia In Ukraine Crisis—And Trump Leads The Way (Forbes)
