Empty Praise From A Spineless Party
Republicans, we see through you.
Today, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy virtually addresses a joint session of Congress at 9 AM, many of you will offer up glowing praise for the man before you. You will tweet and post on social media how in awe of this man that you are. You will highlight his bravery in the face of insurmountable odds. You'll take screenshots and use them in upcoming fundraising emails, urging Congress to act to protect this heroic man and the people of his country. You'll do all of this and pretend like the last three years didn't happen.
Because in July of 2019 the person you are praising today was extorted. A world "leader" attempted to coerce Volodymyr Zelenskyy to announce a fraudulent investigation into the son of his political opponent. Were Zelenskyy to deny this request, critical military aid and weapons would be withheld. This was a shakedown in every sense of the term. This was a clear quid-pro-quo as made evident by the fact that the "leader" in question used the now infamous phrase, "I would like you to do us a favor." So egregious was the threat that an unnamed whistleblower felt he/she/they had no choice but to come forward and share the happenings of the call. Despite being newly-elected and potentially losing out on the much-needed aid and arms, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected this offer and refused to be exploited and bullied. Unlike the "man" on the other end of the phone, Volodymyr Zelenskyy could not be bought.
That "man" in question was none other than Donald Trump. Six months after all this became public through an impeachment trial, the entire Republican Party, sans one impeachment vote by Mitt Romney, voted to acquit Donald Trump for his extortion. When push came to shove, the entire Republican Party chose itself over country. It saw nothing wrong with a man abusing the power of the presidency for his own personal gain. Because this act wasn't in the best interest of the nation, it was in the best interest of Donald Trump. In Trump's mind, there was nothing wrong with exhorting a political ally to help his own re-election chances. For four years, Donald Trump could not and would not separate his own agenda from that of the American presidency. For four years, Republicans in Congress did absolutely nothing to stop him.
Remember.
Remember that when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was extorted, the entire Republican Party, even its most vocal anti-Trump critics like Adam Kitzinger and Liz Chaney, sat silent. Remember that nearly three years later while Donald Trump continues to support Putin and World Tree Fighting Champion Madison Cawthorn calls Zelenskyy a "thug," Republican leadership fails to condemn its members who continue to side with Russia over sovereign nations, including the United States itself. Remember that Fox News has taken over for Russia Today in America and has become a mouthpiece for the Kremlin. And remember that even today, when the world has rallied to the cause of the people of Ukraine, nearly three-dozen members of the Republican Party recently voted against sending $13.6 billion of aid to the war-torn nation because they are still in the pocket of Vladimir Putin and their Russian backers.
Talk is cheap. Words can be hollow. Today's Republican Party had an opportunity to stand with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2019 and they refused to do so because doing so would have put them at odds against the leader of their party, Donald Trump. When push came to shove, the Republican Party chose to back an extortionist rather a world leader because the extortionist and them shared the same goal: to win the 2020 election at all costs. They made their bed and now they must sleep in it. As voters and as defenders of democracy, it's up to Democrats to remind these Republicans of what actually happened in 2019. We cannot allow them to gaslight us today. We cannot let them think they've always been on Zelenskyy's side. We know better. We know the truth. And the truth is that the entire Republican Party supported the extortion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2019 and they would gleefully do so again if they thought it could help them win future elections.
That is the Republican Party all of us should be thinking of today.
Today, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy virtually addresses a joint session of Congress at 9 AM, many of you will offer up glowing praise for the man before you. You will tweet and post on social media how in awe of this man that you are. You will highlight his bravery in the face of insurmountable odds. You'll take screenshots and use them in upcoming fundraising emails, urging Congress to act to protect this heroic man and the people of his country. You'll do all of this and pretend like the last three years didn't happen.
Because in July of 2019 the person you are praising today was extorted. A world "leader" attempted to coerce Volodymyr Zelenskyy to announce a fraudulent investigation into the son of his political opponent. Were Zelenskyy to deny this request, critical military aid and weapons would be withheld. This was a shakedown in every sense of the term. This was a clear quid-pro-quo as made evident by the fact that the "leader" in question used the now infamous phrase, "I would like you to do us a favor." So egregious was the threat that an unnamed whistleblower felt he/she/they had no choice but to come forward and share the happenings of the call. Despite being newly-elected and potentially losing out on the much-needed aid and arms, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected this offer and refused to be exploited and bullied. Unlike the "man" on the other end of the phone, Volodymyr Zelenskyy could not be bought.
That "man" in question was none other than Donald Trump. Six months after all this became public through an impeachment trial, the entire Republican Party, sans one impeachment vote by Mitt Romney, voted to acquit Donald Trump for his extortion. When push came to shove, the entire Republican Party chose itself over country. It saw nothing wrong with a man abusing the power of the presidency for his own personal gain. Because this act wasn't in the best interest of the nation, it was in the best interest of Donald Trump. In Trump's mind, there was nothing wrong with exhorting a political ally to help his own re-election chances. For four years, Donald Trump could not and would not separate his own agenda from that of the American presidency. For four years, Republicans in Congress did absolutely nothing to stop him.
Remember.
Remember that when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was extorted, the entire Republican Party, even its most vocal anti-Trump critics like Adam Kitzinger and Liz Chaney, sat silent. Remember that nearly three years later while Donald Trump continues to support Putin and World Tree Fighting Champion Madison Cawthorn calls Zelenskyy a "thug," Republican leadership fails to condemn its members who continue to side with Russia over sovereign nations, including the United States itself. Remember that Fox News has taken over for Russia Today in America and has become a mouthpiece for the Kremlin. And remember that even today, when the world has rallied to the cause of the people of Ukraine, nearly three-dozen members of the Republican Party recently voted against sending $13.6 billion of aid to the war-torn nation because they are still in the pocket of Vladimir Putin and their Russian backers.
Talk is cheap. Words can be hollow. Today's Republican Party had an opportunity to stand with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2019 and they refused to do so because doing so would have put them at odds against the leader of their party, Donald Trump. When push came to shove, the Republican Party chose to back an extortionist rather a world leader because the extortionist and them shared the same goal: to win the 2020 election at all costs. They made their bed and now they must sleep in it. As voters and as defenders of democracy, it's up to Democrats to remind these Republicans of what actually happened in 2019. We cannot allow them to gaslight us today. We cannot let them think they've always been on Zelenskyy's side. We know better. We know the truth. And the truth is that the entire Republican Party supported the extortion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2019 and they would gleefully do so again if they thought it could help them win future elections.
That is the Republican Party all of us should be thinking of today.