MAGA’s Presidents’ Day Weekend: Siding Against Ukraine and With Russia
February 21, 2023
As President Biden made a historic and unprecedented trip to Ukraine, MAGA Republicans, led by Donald Trump, spent their long weekend not only attacking President Biden as he was standing with our allies, but undermining support for Ukraine as it fights back against Putin’s unprovoked war.
Last night, Donald Trump AGAIN bragged about his good relationship with Vladimir Putin, and how he trusted Putin more than his own intelligence community. This is nothing new for Trump who PRAISED Putin as he launched his bloody war.
Donald Trump: “I actually had a very good relationship.”
Washington Post: “‘Genius,’ ‘Savvy’: Trump reacts to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine exactly as you’d expect”
The Hill: “‘I said, ‘“How smart is that?’” He’s going to go in and be a peacekeeper,’ added Trump, who regularly praised and sought close ties with Putin during his time in office. ‘That’s the strongest peace force. We could use that on our southern border. That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re going to keep peace, all right.’”
Donald Trump: “Putin is now saying, ‘It’s independent,’ a large section of Ukraine. I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper … Here’s a guy who’s very savvy.”
Ron DeSantis appeared on “Fox & Friends” to imply desperately needed aid by the Ukrainans is just a “blank check” and also ignored Russia’s history of threatening and invading its neighbors.
Ron DeSantis: “I think it’s important to point out, I mean, you know, the fear of, kind of, Russia going into NATO countries and all that, and steamrolling, you know, that has not even come close to happening.”
Ron DeSantis: “Well they have, effectively, a blank check policy.”
Not to be outdone, Marjorie Taylor Greene has repeatedly led the MAGA House majority’s charge to undermine Ukraine’s stand against Russia, including this morning.
Marjorie Taylor Greene: “Today on our President’s Day, Joe Biden, the President of the United States chose Ukraine over America, while forcing the American people to pay for Ukraine’s government and war.”
NY Mag: “When Russia first launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, most Americans and their political representatives immediately identified with and sought to assist the beleaguered victims of Vladimir Putin’s aggression, while condemning the crude neo-tsarist imperialism it represented. But from the get-go in the dark heart of MAGA-land, there was dissent and considerable grumbling.”
This comes on the heels of House Republicans, led by Greene, Matt Gaetz, and Lauren Boebert, introducing legislation to immediately halt aid to Ukraine.
Insider: “A group of House Republicans is calling for an immediate halt of US aid in Ukraine, arguing that such support for the country’s defense in the face of Russia’s invasion is ‘inadvertently contributing to civilian casualties.’”