SORRY, GOP: Ukraine conspiracy theory DEBUNKED by country’s former president
So much for the right-wing conspiracy theory about President Biden, Ukraine, and Burisma.
The former president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, was invited to appear on right-wing media outlet Fox News, where he was asked about the firing of Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin during the Obama Administration.
The answer he gave, however, was likely not what host Brian Kilmeade — and the Republican Party — was hoping for.
While Donald Trump was in office, he tried to drum up a conspiracy theory that Joe Biden, as Vice President, had pressured Ukraine to boot Shokin because he was investigating Burisma, a company for which Hunter Biden did consulting work.
Again and again, witnesses have explained that in fact, Shokin was not investigating Burisma and that he was removed for failing to do his job, not for doing it too well.
That hasn’t stopped House Republicans — in their quest for any dirt on Biden that would boost Trump’s 2024 chances — from resurrecting the conspiracy theory and zombie-marching it through Congress and across the evening news.
This time, though, they didn’t get the answers they wanted (and, to be fair, it’s not the first time they’ve waved an expert witness in front of the voters, only to have him completely debunk their claims).
Former President Poroshenko appeared on Fox News, and after a recording was played of Shokin making big claims about his own firing, Poroshenko was invited to back him up.
Instead, the former leader said:
“First of all, this is the completely crazy person…Second, there is no one single word of truth. And third, I hate the idea to make any commands in an American election. We have enjoyed bipartisan support, and please do not use the person like Shokin to undermine the trust between bipartisan support in Ukraine…I hate the idea because he played very dirty game, unfortunately…He was fired because of his own statements.”
Trump’s efforts while in office to pressure Ukrainian leaders to open a sham investigation of Biden — who he expected to be his 2020 opponent — based on the conspiracy theory that Biden orchestrated the firing of Shokin for his son’s benefit, were the reason for one of his two impeachments.
Watch Poroshenko disappoint right-wing viewers below.
amazing – during a Fox News interview w/ Brian Kilmeade, former president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko denounces Victor Shokin, who plays as a leading role in Kilmeade's conspiracy theories, as a "completely crazy person" & says "there's something wrong with him" as Kilmeade melts pic.twitter.com/MXedG1FmrB
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 25, 2023
Steph Bazzle covers politics and theocracy, always aiming for a world free from extremism and authoritarianism. Follow Steph on Twitter @imjustasteph.
