House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) claimed Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson are leading a “pro-Putin faction” in the GOP that’s stymying additional financial aid to Ukraine.
In a CBS “Face the Nation” interview with Margaret Brennan on Sunday, Jeffries complained that Ukraine aid has failed to advance in the House because of “pro-Putin” Trump and Carlson.
“The reason why it’s not happening is because there’s a pro-Putin faction in the Republican Party led by Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson who are blocking this legislation,” Jeffries told Brennan.
House Minority Leader @RepJeffries says “we don’t need an alternative” to the Senate border security and foreign aid bill.
“There’s a pro-Putin faction in the Republican Party, led by Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson, who are blocking this legislation. And that’s shameful.” pic.twitter.com/9RdZpoEbas
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 10, 2024
Jeffries didn’t elaborate on how exactly not wanting to continue handing billions of taxpayer dollars to Ukraine — after already sending over $100 billion — constitutes ideological support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But Jeffries did say that Democrats would vote against a motion to vacate Rep. Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) Speakership if he helps the House pass more Ukraine aid.
“We haven’t had that conversation as a caucus,” Jeffries said. “But I have made the observation that I believe there are a reasonable number of members if the Speaker wants to do the right thing, that don’t believe that he should fall as a result of it.”
Carlson recently interviewed Putin to get a sense of the Russian leader’s rationale behind his nation’s conflict with Ukraine and how it could be ended.
Tucker was soon decried as a traitor by former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and some Democrats even called for Tucker to be charged under the Espionage Act.
As for Trump, Putin himself last month said he’d actually prefer to see Joe Biden remain in office after 2024.
Watch the full interview: