Monday on FNC’s “The Ingraham Angle,” Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for what he deemed to be an “undignified process” involving a Capitol Hill visit and pressing Congress for aid for his war-torn nation.
Partial transcript as follows:
VANCE: Laura, it’s utterly disgraceful. We’re about to go through the United States Senate tomorrow, a very undignified process where Zelensky comes to town and demands that you give him, the American taxpayer gives him another $61 billion. And, oh, by the way, if you want to secure your border first, you are actually a Putin puppet. He said this publicly today. I think it’s disgraceful. I think it’s grotesque.
And I think that it comes at a time, Laura, when Republicans are actually showing some unity and some courage about the importance of the American southern border. So, this is purely designed to apply pressure on Republicans to give up their fight on the border and write another blank check to Ukraine. I’m not doing it. I don’t think Republicans should go for it at all.
INGRAHAM: If Zelensky were smart, and I don’t think he is, if he were smart, you know what he would say to Biden? We’re desperate. Europe’s not going to pony up the money. We’re desperate. I need — you need to work on your border. If you really show good faith on your border, they are going to support us or maybe they’ll support us.
But if he were smart, he would do that. But he’s a fanatic and he won’t do that.
VANCE: That’s exactly right. If he was smart, he would apply pressure to Biden to come to the negotiating table on the border. We’ve been very clear, both the pro-Ukraine and the folks who are more skeptical of Ukraine funding where we’ve been clear, you don’t get another dime until the president focuses seriously on border security.
And this gives lie to the idea that Zelensky is just a totally admirable figure who’s defending his own country. He’s coming to the United States of America —
INGRAHAM: To lecture us.
VANCE: Lecturing us and demanding more American taxpayer dollars. Oh, by the way, while he throws priests and other figures in jail, I think it’s disgraceful, Laura. I’ve been in the Senate for almost a year now. This is the most disgraceful charade I’ve seen in my year here.
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