DIVISION: DeSantis SLAMMED by GOP senators over Ukraine aid stance
A minority of the Republican party has decided to throw tacit support to Vladimir Putin by pretending that the invasion of Ukraine doesn’t affect the U.S. and shouldn’t be on our radar.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has joined this faction, declaring the invasion a mere ‘territorial dispute’ in which the U.S. should not be involved, but his party is pushing back.
DeSantis is gaining support from the subset of “anti-woke” MAGA supporters who have given up on Donald Trump for various reasons.
He’s nabbed, for instance, an endorsement from Representative Chip Roy (R-TX), despite not yet officially being in the running.
At the same time, he’s rejected by much of the MAGA movement for (even potentially) daring to challenge Trump — and after his comments on Russia this week, there’s even more opposition.
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DeSantis says that Ukraine is not a major interest of the U.S. and dismissed the invasion by Vladimir Putin’s armies as a “territorial dispute” in which the United States should not become “further entangled.”
He provided this statement to Tucker Carlson, who has already been criticized for spreading Russian propaganda on his show.
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Now, as you’ll see in a series of clips below, established Republicans are rejecting this view, as several have rejected pro-Putin commentary from former president Donald Trump.
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These include Senators John Cornyn, Marco Rubio, Mitt Romney, Shelley Capito, John Thune, Kevin Cramer, Thom Tillis, Roger Wicker, Mike Rounds, John Kennedy, and Lindsey Graham.
Kennedy, for instance, says that he doesn’t agree with treating U.S. aid to Ukraine as a charitable donation — rather, he sees it as self-preservation.
Rounds suggested that anyone seeking nomination for president should “get a full briefing” before making public statements on the matter.
Graham took issue with describing the invasion as a mere “territorial conflict” rather than a “war of aggression.”
Young said that to pull back support now would be “the worst thing” the U.S. could do.
You’ll see those comments and more in the clips below.
In addition, POLITICO reports on further comments from other senators.
Cornyn:
“I hope he feels like he doesn’t need to take that Tucker Carlson line to be competitive in the primary. It’s important for us to continue to support Ukrainians for our own security.”
Tillis:
“Yeah, I disagree [with DeSantis]. I think we have to look better than just the conflict in Ukraine. There’s a humanitarian crisis. There are war crimes being committed.”
Clearly, not all of the GOP stands with Ukraine, though — below is the email from House Republican Chip Roy declaring his endorsement.
Rep. CHIP ROY just sent out an email endorsing DeSantis for president — even though the FL governor hasn't even officially launched a presidential campaign.
Says:"The next [POTUS] States must be a vibrant and energetic leader…That leader is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis." pic.twitter.com/xT8RlfbFZY
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) March 15, 2023
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