Zelensky vs. Trump: Heated debate divides U.S. politicians
The heated exchange of words between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday divided opinions among U.S. politicians, with the majority of Republicans supporting the American president, according to BBC.
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who was present in the Oval Office during the meeting, told Breitbart News on Saturday that Zelensky had focused too much on fact-checking and compared the Ukrainian leader to a “former girlfriend.”
Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump, demanded that the Ukrainian leader “change his position or resign” while speaking to reporters outside the White House.
Senator Bill Hagerty stated that the U.S. “will no longer be taken for granted,” while Trump’s allies, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, defended questions about Zelensky’s attire, asking, “Why isn’t Zelensky wearing a suit when he comes to meet our president and ask for more money from the American people?”
Other Republicans took a different stance. Representative Mike Lawler from New York called the meeting a “missed opportunity,” while Don Bacon, a moderate representative from Nebraska, said it was “a bad day for America’s foreign policy.”
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a moderate Republican, posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday: “I’m disgusted as the administration appears to distance itself from our allies and embrace Putin.”
Democrats rallied around Zelensky, with Senator Chris Coons stating that America owes “its gratitude to a nation fighting on the frontlines of democracy—not public criticism at the White House.”
California Senator Adam Schiff expressed similar sentiments, calling the Ukrainian leader a “hero” and referring to Trump as “a coward.”
Translation by Iurie Tataru
