Amid Russian leader Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine last week, an insidious new set of extreme right talking points is starting to develop.
Republican observers of the unprovoked invasion seem more than ready to side with Putin and his invasion of the fledgling democratic nation that broke from the U.S.S.R. in 1991.
At one white supremacist gathering last week, far-right racist Nick Fuentes and other Republicans were filmed cheering for Putin after he mounted the deadly invasion. Fox News host Tucker Carlson has openly said he's "rooting" for Russia over Ukraine. Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance said he didn't care what happened to Ukraine one way or another.
This apathy toward the U.S.'s ally in eastern Europe continued through the weekend after retired Colonel Douglas MacGregor, a onetime Trump administration official, defended Putin in an interview with Fox News host Trey Gowdy.
When Gowdy asked if Russia should be allowed to invade and claim dominion over any part of Ukraine it wants, MacGregor said:
“Yes. Absolutely. I see no reason why we should fight with the Russians over something they have been talking about for years, and we chose to ignore it. And more importantly, the population there is indistinguishable from their own.”
MacGregor's advocacy for Putin didn't sit well with Fox national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin, who appeared on the network shortly after MacGregor's segment to correct his falsehoods.
Watch below.
wow — Jennifer Griffin continues her live fact-check of Fox colleagues and guests:
“I feel like I need to correct some of the things that Col. Douglas MacGregor said, and I’m not sure that 10 minutes is enough time to do so, because there were so many distortions." pic.twitter.com/nsdvoGwwXi
— j.d. durkin 🌱 (@jd_durkin) February 28, 2022
Griffin told Gowdy:
"I feel like I need to correct some of the things that Col. Douglas MacGregor said, and I’m not sure that 10 minutes is enough time to do so because there were so many distortions in what he just said and talking about the West and NATO vilifying Putin and sounding like an apologist for Putin."
She went on to accuse MacGregor of talking in Tsarist terms, while also noting she began her career as a correspondent in Moscow.
Social media users applauded Griggin's unsparing fact-check.
Go, girl https://t.co/nn3XgzSmhB
— Donna Ladd (@DonnerKay) February 28, 2022
If only all journalists could be like @JenGriffinFNC. Many are.....but many just are not. https://t.co/a8UokwyxHI
— Stephanie Cutter (@stefcutter) February 28, 2022
So good. https://t.co/zi0vZTT2vh
— Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) February 28, 2022
This was terrific. Well done @JenGriffinFNC! https://t.co/8U7qYb4el1
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) February 28, 2022
Jennifer Griffin is out here doing the Lord’s work. https://t.co/r5YMTKzqRa
— Kunu is Hawaiian for Chuck; Слава Україні 🇺🇦🌻 (@sgtregionrat) February 28, 2022
Good for Jennifer Griffin. https://t.co/MqxuaPKlY4
— AG🌻 (@AGHamilton29) February 28, 2022
And they didn't take kindly to MacGregor's comments.
Well. This is reprehensible.
"You think we should just let Putin take whatever piece of Ukraine he wants?"
"Absolutely." https://t.co/sARhcUud9v
— Paul Niland (@PaulNiland) February 28, 2022
Traitors be traitoring... https://t.co/iwUAwGgXxs
— It'sTheEnvironmentStupid (@ItsTheEnvironm1) February 28, 2022
Putin is bombing childrens hospitals and orphanages.
Why is this Kremlin propaganda allowed to air? And why is a faction of the GOP so hellbent on defending a KGB dictator?!
Putin stands for everything America is against. https://t.co/YtH9NxqTQ2
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) February 28, 2022
Not on Griffin's watch.
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