On this week's episode of "Fox News Sunday," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), in addition to sharing his thoughts that it could be an "opportunity" to become the next speaker, should Republicans indeed take back control of the House as they are predicted to do, offered telling points about Russia's invasion of Ukraine as well as President Joe Biden's response, or lack thereof.
"If we would've taken those actions earlier instead of waiting until after Russia invaded, they probably would have never invaded." @GOPLeader says weapon and aid shipments to Ukraine from the U.S. came too late. #FoxNewsSunday
— Fox News Sunday (@FoxNewsSunday) April 17, 2022
As with most other issues, the Biden administration has been patting itself on the back for how it is handling the situation, even when Americans give the president low marks. For instance, an NBC News poll from last month, which also showed a personal record low for Biden for that poll, found that very few respondents have high confidence about how Biden can handle Ukraine. Just 28 percent have confidence he can handle it, while 71 percent do not, including the plurality, at 44 percent who said they have "very little" confidence.
McCarthy spoke with guest host Mike Emanuel about a bipartisan trip he took to Poland, Romania, and Brussels. In addition to speaking about how what he "took away most from all of it is the fortitude of the Ukrainian people and the devastation of what is happening that Russia is doing, the targeting of children, of women," he warned it's going to continue.
"This is going to get stronger and rougher, and what really needs to happen is Ukraine is not asking for American men and women to fight. All they're asking for is the weapons to defend themselves," McCarthy added, also tellingly pointing out that "if we would have taken those actions earlier instead of waiting until after Russia invaded, they probably never would have invaded had we done that sooner."
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The minority leader also detailed conversations he had with the president when Emanuel asked "what more should the commander-in-chief be doing" as he pointed out that Biden announced $800 million more in military assistance, with $2.6 billion thus far having been sent in security assistance.
"Well, I had this discussion with President Biden long before when he just would threaten sanctions after Putin entered. I believe Putin never worried about the sanctions. He only looks at could he be deterred from entering Ukraine," McCarthy shared, as he emphasized the importance of sending weapons.
"Ukraine was craving the ability to defend themselves. Had we moved the weapons to Ukraine earlier, that they could defend themselves, it would have saved thousands of lives and probably the decision of Putin not to enter," he continued, also reminding how Biden has "denied Ukraine and denied Poland for providing MiGs to Ukraine to protect themselves on a flyover," referring to "all of that [as] a wrong action going forward."
McCarthy issued a further warning about Taiwan as well, and how they may need protection from China. "But what we need to do is learn from here, provide the weapons to Ukraine, but also look to the future of what China is doing. Taiwan has been waiting more than a year for weapons they've already purchased to defend themselves," he further said on the topic.
As Katie and Matt have written about, China is eyeing moving in, and how the Biden administration has handled the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan and now Ukraine, is surely something Xi Jinping is eying.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also made a Sunday show appearance, on CNN's "State of the Union." He repeated his calls for Biden to come to Ukraine, as U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday night, during a recording of "Pod Save America," however, where she also said Fox News' Peter Doocy "might... sound like a stupid son of a bitch," that "we are not sending the president to Ukraine." He also reiterated "we still need a lot more than what we have today."
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