As MAGA members of Congress including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Thomas Massie (R-WV), and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) oppose sending additional aid to Ukraine as it fights against a Russian invasion, GOP Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Russian propaganda has “infected a good chunk of my party’s base.”
Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), also a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, supported McCaul’s claim on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ this weekend. Turner said: “We see directly coming from Russia attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages – some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor.”
GOP Rep. Mike Turner says it’s “absolutely true” that Russian propaganda has “infected” a portion of the Republican party:
“We see directly coming from Russia … communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House… pic.twitter.com/cNzF1qiOIV
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) April 7, 2024
Turner added: “There are members of the House today who still incorrectly say this conflict between Russia and Ukraine is over NATO, which of course it is not…Vladimir Putin made it very clear publicly and to his own population… that all of Ukraine territory is Russia’s.”
Greene wrote this week: “Making Ukraine a member of NATO means that the U.S. will be going to war against Russia as mandated by Article 5,” and suggested that doing so will be “The start of WWIII.”
Turner said the “infection” of Russian propaganda is “an authoritarian versus democracy battle,” and noted that Chinese President Xi and Putin “have identified it as such.” Turner added: “We know authoritarian regimes never stop when they start an aggression.”
[Related: Marjorie Taylor Greene Evokes Image of Mike Johnson’s Wife “Tied Up” With Gun To Her Head]
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is expected to bring a bill to the floor regarding sending additional aid to Ukraine, which is one reason — in addition to his recent spending bill support — why Rep. Greene has filed a motion to vacate Johnson.