Bipartisan Support, Except for MAGA

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plea for continued financial and military aid for his country’s defense from Russia was met with complete bipartisan support on Capitol Hill – almost. Then there are the MAGA Republicans, whose blatant backing of Vladmir Putin underscores their leader Donald J. Trump’s allegiance to the Russian dictator. 

Retiring Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) called out two MAGA Republicans on Twitter: “I couldn’t imagine looking at myself in the mirror if I was @mattgaetz or @laurenboebert. Smugly sat on their hands while history was made and a real hero addressed us. Imagine caring more about performance art than real human issues.”

Conversely, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) tweeted, “No more blank checks to Ukraine,” echoing would-be future House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who repeated his opposition to “blank checks” after calling Zelenskyy’s address, “Good speech.” (Washington Examiner.)

New York’s Daily News reports that Twitter deleted a tweet by Donald Trump Jr. with a faked picture of a naked Hunter Biden and calling Zelenskyy a “welfare queen.” The irony of Donald Trump Sr. withholding aid to Ukraine three years ago after a “perfect phone call” from which Zelenskyy declined to “investigate” Hunter Biden apparently was lost on Jr. 

But in the Senate, Republican support appeared more solid, far-less MAGA, with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell backing the $45-billion package for Ukraine included in the omnibus budget passed Thursday. 

And Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) tweeted: “Gr8 to be present for historic Zelenskyy speech Americans & Ukrainians partners for democracy Zelenskyy made that very clear.”

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