Brunswick Beacon, 05.12.22
The “GOP”. It just can’t quit him. No matter how many maternity wards Putin bombs, no matter how many Ukrainian women his thugs rape, no matter how many mass graves are dug up, Republican leaders keep defending Putin and parroting his propaganda.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken took an 11-hour train ride from Poland to war-torn Kiev last month to demonstrate President Biden’s commitment to helping Ukraine defeat Putin. Blinken then reported back to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on his meeting with President Zelensky.
That’s when Republican Sen. Rand Paul parroted Putin’s rationale for invading Ukraine. Paul said “There are reasons for the invasion”, which he said was America’s support for admitting Ukraine into NATO. That’s right: he blamed America for “agitating” Putin, who he said “absolutely hated” the idea: “Russia said that it was a red line.”
Paul was just following Trump’s lead by making excuses for Putin, whether he’s murdering journalists or annihilating Ukrainian cities without provocation. Trump notoriously called Putin’s invasion “wonderful” and “genius.” His Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had “enormous respect” for Putin and praised him as ‘talented” and “savvy.”
Trump’s most cult-like Republican followers in Congress, including NC Rep. Dan Bishop, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene voted against H.R. 7108, Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia, and S. 3522, the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act.
Just last week, Trump’s endorsement helped J.D. Vance win Ohio’s Republican nomination, potentially adding another member to Putin’s Gang in Congress.
Russia made clear that it invaded Ukraine to prevent it from joining NATO and becoming an American ally. Even so, Vance nonsensically said that “has nothing to do with our national security” adding “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine.”
No matter how many atrocities Putin commits, the “GOP”, that Gang of Putin’s, will keep taking his side.
Joanne Levitan
Leland
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