Only 5 percent of Republicans support Russia over Ukraine, but the MAGA wing of the GOP has continually sided with Putin and against Ukraine.
Current and former elected officials, candidates for office, and media figures who are popular with the MAGA base have a history of pro-Russia comments. Now, they have decided that they should disparage Ukraine and Volodymyr Zelenskyy despite Russia’s invasion. Some of them have walked back their comments once they saw Putin’s war machine target innocent people, but many still see Russia as an ally.
We’ve collected their quotes below to make sure they can never forget where they stood.
Quotes
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“So Putin is now saying it’s independent, a large section of Ukraine. I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper. That’s the strongest peace force.”
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“If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability, because we have a horrible relationship with Russia.”
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“[Putin is] taking over a country for two dollars worth of sanctions. I’d say that’s pretty smart.”
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“NATO has been supplying the neo-Nazis in Ukraine with powerful weapons and extensive training on how to use them. What the hell is going with these #NATONazis?”
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“You see Ukraine just kept poking the bear, poking the bear, which is Russia, and Russia invaded. And the hard truth is … there is no win for Ukraine here. Russia is being very successful in their invasion.”
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“Under Republicans, not another penny will go to Ukraine.”
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“I think we should probably take the side of Russia, if we have to choose between Russia and Ukraine.”
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“Has Putin ever called me a racist? Has he threatened to get me fired for disagreeing with him?”
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“No, Zelenskyy is not a hero. He is an instrument of total destruction.”
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“I gotta be honest with you, I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other.”
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“Every American who wants to know what’s *actually* going on in Russia and Ukraine, read this transcript of Putin’s address…WE are at fault.”
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“President Zelensky is a very bad character who is working with globalists against the interests of his own people.”
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“No Republican should vote for any money for Ukraine. $0 for Ukraine.”
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“Every member of Conservative Inc. that backs this Ukraine war is a simp.”
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“The Soviet Union back before Russia when it broke up contained all of Ukraine including Crimea. The country itself is not really a country.”
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“I’m more concerned with the US-Mexico border than the Russia-Ukraine border. Not sorry.”
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“Ukraine is not our ally. Russia is not our enemy. We need to address our crippling debt, inflation and immigration problems. None of this is Putin’s fault.”
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“Ukraine is not our friend, and Russia is not our enemy.”
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“I have major concerns about a compromised president of the United States who is sending incredible support to a less-than-forthright president of the Ukraine.”
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“Why does Joe Biden care more about Ukraine’s borders than America’s borders? Does it have anything to do with ‘10% for the Big Guy?’”
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“It feels as if Putin is going into places that want him. They have voted overwhelmingly to be part of it. It is a family dispute that we shouldn’t get in the midst of, that’s for certain.”
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“We had kind of a really pathetic display from the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.”
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“Putin–unlike someone else we know–LOVES his country & FIGHTS for its interests”
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“The ethnic Russians in Ukraine are like our Jan. 6 protesters and the deep state wants to crush them for the same reason they want to crush the Jan. 6ers.”
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“Ukraine is a DC distraction & scam.”
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“[Putin is] a very strong leader. He’s been in charge for a long time. And he’s not going to put up with the nonsense he’s seeing in Europe.”
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“Zelensky is a globalist puppet for Soros and the Clintons.”
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“I wish Putin was president of America.”
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“There are in fact bio labs [in Ukraine] funded by our tax dollars…Putin is acting defensively.”
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“Remember that Zelenskyy is a thug. Remember that the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt and it is incredibly evil and has been pushing woke ideologies.”
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“I’m kind of confused why they’re telling us to stand with Ukraine when it seems that everybody affiliated or standing with Ukraine is either transgender, a Satanist, or a straight up Nazi.”