Republicans criticize Biden for admitting he knew about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for months
As Russia advanced its deadly invasion of Ukraine, Republicans gutted President Biden for admitting that he knew Vladimir Putin would launch the attack even with US sanctions and for not personally sanctioning the Russian leader.
“The Biden administration continues to miss the moment,” Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on Twitter. “Putin and his inner circle live all over the world. It is high time democracies held him accountable. Giving Putin clarity on what would happen if he invaded Ukraine was a mistake. ‘
“Not chasing him personally is an even bigger mistake,” the South Carolina Republican wrote on Twitter.
Biden announced a number of new sanctions on Thursday, but left the Russian leader’s personal assets out of them. He said sanctions against Putin were “on the table”, but did not answer a question as to why he was not included in the circle of financial restrictions on Thursday.
Representative Tony Gonzalez, R-Texas, said that without a strong response, Russia’s attack on Ukraine would encourage China to take similar steps with Taiwan.
“Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow. As Americans, we stand on the side of freedom. Ukraine deserves our full support in their struggle for democracy against unjustified attacks by Russia, so that other bad actors do not follow their example. ‘
In a confusing moment from Biden’s address Thursday, the president said he had always known that his sanctions would do nothing to stop Putin’s attack, although his administration has repeatedly insisted that sanctions hang over Putin’s head. deter him from attacking.
Biden announced a number of new sanctions on Thursday, but left the personal assets of the Russian leader out of them
“No one expected sanctions to prevent anything. It will take time. And we need to show determination to know what’s coming, “Biden said. “He will test the West’s determination to see if we stay together.”
“President Biden says he has known for months that Russia has been planning to attack Ukraine and has not yet made a strong move to prevent them from doing so,” spokeswoman Lisa McClain wrote on Twitter.
And as Republicans turned to the US president’s failures, Biden followed Putin.
“Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will suffer the consequences, “Biden said in a White House statement.
The commander-in-chief said Putin not only wanted to conquer Ukraine, but had ambitions to fully restore the old Soviet Union.
“He has much bigger ambitions than Ukraine. He wants to restore the former Soviet Union. That’s what it’s about, “he said.
As Vladimir Putin launched a campaign to bomb Ukraine, signaling the beginning of a complete invasion, dozens of Republicans charged with the leader they saw as the villain: President Joe Biden.
“As we pray for the Ukrainian people, make no mistake: THIS happens when America’s enemies see the weak and incompetent @POTUS,” tweeted US spokesman Scott Perry, adding the hashtag Bidenisafailure.
Some took the lead from former President Donald Trump’s indiscriminate appearance on Fox News on Wednesday night, when he said his good relations with Putin would have prevented the invasion.
And hours later, it was a recurring theme when conservatives gathered in Orlando, Florida, for the annual CPAC conference.
As the Republican foreign establishment focuses its condemnation on Putin, he suggests that the issue of Russia is a new litmus test for conservatives – just like the January 6 violence and Trump’s claims that he was deceived in the election.
“America is incompetent right now,” said Ben Ferguson, the first CPAC spokesman and television presenter.
“Right now, America is a place that won’t even know how to organize the world to fight tyrants and dictators around the world. And that’s why they’re doing it right now. ‘
As Russian tanks moved through Crimea and Russia began bombing Ukraine, dozens of Republicans trained their fire against President Joe Biden, not Vladimir Putin, accusing the US leader of weakness.
The first spokesman for the Conservative CPAC meeting in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday gave a taste of what lies ahead. “America is incompetent right now,” TV presenter Ben Ferguson said when he warned that opponents were taking advantage.
Former President Trump called into Fox News on Wednesday to claim the attack would not have happened on his watch
Rep Scott Perry was among the Republicans who took to Twitter to blast Biden for Putin’s aggression in Ukraine
Others warned that America’s allies were watching what was unfolding and see American weakness on the world stage
A steady stream of Republicans tweeted their anger at Biden, warning that the country’s enemies would be watching.
In a tweet, Republicans from the House of Representatives said: “President Biden’s weakness on the world stage has encouraged our enemies. China, Iran and North Korea are watching. ‘
For days, Tucker Carlson has been questioning Biden’s response to his highly acclaimed Fox News broadcast. He has repeatedly asked why the United States should side with Ukraine and not with Putin.
But not everyone was in step.
Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who wished to demonstrate his close relationship with Trump, did not mention Biden in his comments.
“Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is reckless and evil,” he said. “The United States is with the people of Ukraine and is praying for their safety and determination.”
Matt Schlap, who heads the organization behind the CPAC and a leading conservative voice, said the issue of Russia and Ukraine would be a key topic for the next four days.
He said there were differences between the party coalition spread.
“You know, Liz Cheney’s wing of the Republican Party is becoming increasingly marginalized and discredited,” he told DailyMail.com. “So that makes people turn to different voices to try to say, well, you know, if you’re not a military expert, do you think we should use America’s power, its treasure, to intervene?”
“And I would say that I think most people here would actually listen to the case to defend Ukraine, but the president has to do it.
“He has to somehow transform himself from this man who reads a line in the middle of the day into a president who gives big speeches in prime time, including press conferences, about what he thinks we should do.”
Recent polls show little support for the US role in the conflict.
The Associated Press’s Center for Public Affairs (NORC) found that only 22 percent of Republicans believe the United States should play a major role in the conflict, compared with 32 percent of Democrats.
A military column moves across the town of Armyansk, northern Crimea. Early on February 24, after invasion begins
People waiting for a Kiev bound train spread on a platform in Kostiantynivka, the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine
In addition, Republicans are less inclined to say that they are very or extremely concerned that Russia’s influence in the world poses a direct threat to the United States.
This makes former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabard suitable for the CPAC.
She has been accused of succumbing to dictators and spreading Putin’s propaganda, saying the invasion would not have happened if the West had addressed concerns about Ukraine’s accession to NATO – although the Russian president also said Ukraine had no right to exist. regardless of Russia.
Representative Elise Stefanick, who won Cheney’s position as the third-oldest Republican in the House of Representatives for her support of Trump, has made it clear.
“After a year of a weak, ruthless and unfit president of the United States and commander-in-chief, the world is less secure,” she said.
“Instead of peace through force, we are witnessing Joe Biden’s foreign policy of war through weakness.”
But leading Biden’s condemnation was Trump, who told Fox News in a free interview that this would not happen under his administration and reiterated allegations of rigged elections in 2020.
As explosions were reported in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other parts of Ukraine, Trump called the scene a “terrible situation” and insisted that Putin would never move his watch.
“He sees the weakness, incompetence and stupidity of this administration. And as an American, I’m angry about it and I’m sad about it, “he said, referring to Laura Ingraham’s Fox News program.
“This is a very sad thing for the world, for the country, and it is certainly very sad for many people who will be killed unnecessarily.”
Ingram asked Trump about the continuing closeness between Putin and Xi.
“Well, I had a good relationship with both of them,” he said. “It simply came to our notice then. You see what happened to Durham and these reports and other reports, including Mueller.
“It was just a fabricated scam and really hurt our country, but despite the scam, I also had good relations with President XI of China, in addition to imposing tariffs and devilish taxes on him.”
“As a young man growing up, I’ve always heard that the worst thing that can happen is to bring these two countries together. It really started with Obama and energy. He drove them together because one needed energy and the other needed money, “Trump added. “He drives them together and Biden – I kept them aside – and Biden is a great love holiday now, and that’s a very bad thing, and I think you can probably add Iran to it.”
Former President Donald Trump, speaking at a super PAC fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, spoke off the cuff about the impending military action Wednesday night
Trump spoke to Fox News’ Laura Ingraham as the bombs went off in Kyiv
Trump then again said that Vladimir Putin was ‘smart,’ as he had during interviews given on Tuesday
Trump again criticized President Joe Biden for his actions ahead of the crisis
Trump said that, despite having good relationships with Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi (right), he ‘kept them apart
Earlier in a telephone interview with Ingram, Trump complained that this was happening at all.
“It simply came to our notice then. This would not have happened during my rule. In fact, some people say why this place has not been in the last four years? It wasn’t for a very good reason, and I’ll explain it to you one day, but it wasn’t going to happen, and it’s not going to happen right now. This is a sad thing for the world and the country and many people who will be killed unnecessarily. ‘
Trump says he used his good relations with Putin to prevent this.
“Well, I know him very well.” We had many, many times together. I got along with him fantastically, despite the fact that I closed Nord Stream 2, no one would have heard of Nord Stream 2 if it weren’t for me. I am the one who closed it. ‘
He then went through a story about how he disagreed with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the Nord Stream 2 strategy.
Trump then linked the invasion to the failed withdrawal from Afghanistan by the Biden administration in 2021.
“It’s a terrible thing, the way it started, I don’t believe he originally wanted to do that,” Trump said. “I think he wanted to do something and negotiate it, and it got worse and worse. He saw the weakness, and you know, it really started with the weakness in Afghanistan. The way they got out of Afghanistan. I really believe that’s where he started thinking he could do it. ‘
Ingram then asked Trump what he thought of President Biden’s approach, in which Ingram said Biden was “monitoring the situation” and would then speak with fellow G7 leaders on Thursday.
“I don’t think he’s watching, I think he’s probably asleep right now,” Trump said. “It’s a terrible thing that should never have happened. I really believe it was Afghanistan when he looked at this horrible, weak withdrawal. ‘
Earlier Thursday, Trump, speaking during a fundraiser for the Super PAC in his Florida resort of Mar-a-Lago, spoke without hands about the upcoming military action Wednesday night.
The former president spoke of America’s enemies during the crisis, saying: “Now they are laughing at us. That is why you have Ukraine, that is why you will have China. Taiwan is next and you will see the same. ‘
Trump then reiterated that Vladimir Putin was “smart,” as he was in interviews Tuesday.
“He took over the country in exchange for $ 2 in sanctions, I would say that’s pretty smart. He conquers a country – a huge, vast location, a great piece of land with many people – just goes straight. This would never happen and I know him very well.
On Tuesday, Trump praised Putin’s move to declare Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions “independent.”
“I came in yesterday and there was a TV screen and I said, ‘That’s brilliant,'” Trump said. “Putin declares a large part of Ukraine – from Ukraine – Putin declares it independent. Oh, that’s wonderful. ‘
“I said, ‘How smart is this?'” The former US president continued: “And he will come in and be a peacemaker. This is the strongest peaceful force… We could use it on our southern border. This is the strongest peaceful force I have ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve seen. They will keep the peace well.
“No, but think about it.” Here is a man who is very understanding: “Trump went on. “I know him very well.” Very, very, very good. If I were in office, even unthinkable, this would never have happened. ‘
Trump added: “But here’s a man who says, you know, ‘I’m going to declare much of Ukraine independent,’ he’s using the word ‘independent,’ and ‘we’re going to go in and out, and we’re going to help keep the peace.’ “You have to say that this is quite reasonable. And do you know what Biden’s response was? There was no answer. They didn’t have one for that. No, it’s very sad. Very sad.
Trump also called Biden “a man who has no idea what he’s doing.”
