Voldymyr Zelenskyy is a towering figure on the world stage.
His country is the victim of an unprovoked attack by Russia. The invaders shelled apartment blocks and hospitals; and kidnapped, tortured, and murdered helpless civilians. The Ukrainians took it and fought back with incredible bravery. With the help of Western assistance, they’re defending themselves and thwarting Putin’s schemes of conquest.
He came to the U.S. on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, to meet with President Biden and ask Congress to keep supporting Ukraine. (Watch his speech to Congress below.) When he entered the chamber, most of Congress gave him a standing ovation.
Tucker Carlson, the Fox Network host whom Huffington Post accuses parroting Russian propaganda (see story here), had nothing constructive to say about his visit. He criticized Zelenskyy’s sweater!
That’s necessary attire in his country, where the power’s been knocked out by Russian missile strikes. Zelenskyy undoubtedly wore it symbolically, to remind Americans of his people’s suffering. He’s also often seen in combat attire (photo at left), because his country is at war, and he doesn’t lead from behind a desk.
But Carlson told his audience, “As far as we know, no one’s ever addressed the United States Congress in a sweatshirt before, but they love him much more than they love you.” That’s a stupid and repulsive thing to say. Then Carlson reached even lower, claiming Zelenskyy looked like a “strip club manager.” That’s straight out of a gutter.
Tucker Carlson isn’t a patriotic American, he’s a media whore and Russian stooge. There’s really no reason for anyone to listen to him. Patriotic Americans, and people who care about decency, will turn him off.
He’s not the only rude conservative. House members Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO) “reportedly ‘blew past’ Capitol security checkpoints” on their way to Zelenskyy’s speech, evading metal detectors. Security guards tried to stop them, but they walked away. (See story here.) You know what? Given their hostility toward Ukraine and fondness for guns, I would’ve considered them an assassination risk and stopped them by force.
Meanwhile, Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), already notorious for calling Capitol rioters “tourists,” refused to stand for Zelenskyy’s ovation. Even far-right Ohio congressman Jim Jordan urged him to do so, but Clyde said, “I will not. I will not.” (See story here.) That’s his privilege. But he’s a pig, and I would never vote for someone like him.
Democrats aren’t right about everything. This is a diverse country, and there’s plenty of space here for people with different opinions. There’s a strong case for a political party that promotes personal freedom, is pro-business, and advocates for small government. But that’s not what the Republican Party is anymore. It’s a pigpen, populated by swine like Carlson, Clyde, Gaetz, and Boebert, whose antics taint the entire party with a toxic sheen of disrepute; and I’ve stopped listening to these people. They disgust me.