Tipsheet

JD Vance Reacts to Zelensky Saying He’s ‘Too Radical’

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  September 26, 2024 11:30 AM

On Wednesday, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), the running mate for former and potentially future President Donald Trump, reacted to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claiming he was "too radical." As we've been covering, the foreign leader made such comments about Vance earlier this week during his trip to Pennsylvania, which Vance took as an affront to the American taxpayer, given that Zelensky "ought to say thank you."

Vance had been "given the floor" to respond, and was also asked "to detail how a Trump-Vance administration would end the war in Ukraine." 

When it comes to ending the war in Ukraine, Vance noted that it's "by not being weak and not being dumb, which is unfortunately something you can't say for the current administration," he noted to applause from the crowd. "And it's very simple, Russia didn't invade a single one of their neighbors for the four years that Donald Trump was president, and the president before him, and the president after him, somehow Russia keeps invading their neighbors, it's because they don't respect American leadership and because our leaders aren't smart." 

"So what Donald Trump brings back is not just strength but intelligence to the Oval Office, and I think that's all you really need to end this war, because look, it's not in America's interest, it's not in Ukraine's interest, it's not in Europe's interest for this war to go on indefinitely."

It was then that Vance also made the comments about Zelensky, as he also clarified that what he said that the foreign leader took issue with "is not a plan, that's me talking about one possible scenario for how this thing might ultimately end. But look, I don't appreciate Zelensky coming to this country and telling the American taxpayers what they ought to do," Vance continued to more applause from the crowd. "He ought to say thank you to the American taxpayers!"

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The fallout from Zelensky's remarks, which came during a trip paid for by taxpayers, has resulted in House Republicans led by Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX), as well as House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) looking to investigate such a visit. Zelensky arrived on a U.S. Air Force C-17 military aircraft and received Secret Service protections.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), as Madeline covered, has called on Zelensky to fire Ambassador Oksana Markarova over that visit. "The tour was clearly a partisan campaign event designed to help Democrats and is clearly election interference," Johnson mentioned in his letter. The trip involved no Republicans, but included Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Bob Casey, Jr., as well as Rep. Matt Cartwright, the latter two who are facing tough reelection battles this year. Johnson and Gooden have noted the partisan nature of such a trip. 

Zelensky is meeting with U.S. lawmakers on Thursday, though Johnson will not be meeting with him. Per Fox News' Chad Pergram, the Ukrainian president ignored questions shouted at him from reporters about the visit and Johnson's demands that Markarova be removed. 

Markarova herself later did the same, even taking a phone call to avoid Pergram's question as to if she'll resign. 

In April, Congress approved and President Joe Biden signed a foreign aid package that included funding for Ukraine, with a total price tag of $95 billion. As of April, the United States has pledged $174 billion to assist Ukraine, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Not long after Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found that 62 percent of registered voters believed that Russia's Vladimir Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if Trump was still president, and 59 percent believed Putin invaded because he saw weakness in Biden.