In the face of Russian aggression and cruelty, the world has rallied around Ukraine. The country’s brave and charismatic president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has earned international accolades and is widely seen as a relentless force for democracy and freedom.
But Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a Republican provocateur from North Carolina, recently called Zelensky a “thug” who heads an “incredibly evil” government.
WRAL, a North Carolina news outlet, obtained video footage of Cawthorn telling constituents, “Remember that Zelensky is a thug…Remember that the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt and is incredibly evil and has been pushing woke ideologies.”
The video is undated, but Cawthorn alluded to several recent political developments, indicating that it was likely filmed last weekend, after Russia initiated its invasion.
Business Insider reports:
A spokesperson for Cawthorn told Insider on Thursday that the lawmaker “supports Ukraine and the Ukrainian President’s efforts to defend their country against Russian aggression, but does not want America drawn into another conflict through emotional manipulation.”
“The Congressman was expressing his displeasure at how foreign leaders, including Zelensky, had recently used false propaganda to entice America into becoming involved in an overseas conflict,” the spokesperson said, pointing to Cawthorn’s tweet on Thursday.
“Propaganda is being used to entice America into another war,” Cawthorn tweeted, along with a link to a Substack article about propaganda and misinformation in the Russia-Ukraine war. “I do not want Americans dying because emotions pushed us into a conflict.”
Cawthorn wrote in a follow-up tweet: “The actions of Putin and Russia are disgusting. But leaders, including Zelensky, should NOT push misinformation on America.
The Hill provides important context:
On Wednesday, Cawthorn was one of only 17 representatives who voted against banning Russian oil as further punishment for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, which has been forcefully condemned by both Republicans and Democrats.
Russia’s government has been pushing false claims about the Ukrainian government and Zelensky, calling them neo-Nazis and drug dealers in an attempt to justify their aggression. The Kremlin is using these lies to portray themselves as the hero of a war they are fighting to liberate the people of Ukraine.