Amid Russian President Vladimir Putin's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Republicans elected officials continue to blame President Joe Biden for the uptick in aggression.
In a tweet this past week, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy lamented that the United States hadn't sent weapons to Ukraine early enough, and suggested that the U.S. send weapons to Taiwan posthaste to "safeguard their future against China."
Just as the United States should have supplied weapons to Ukraine sooner, we should speed up the sale of weapons to Taiwan so they can safeguard their future against China.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) March 7, 2022
But there's a glaring omission in McCarthy's critiques.
Former President Donald Trump's first impeachment inquiry began in 2019, when the House began an investigation into a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. After a Trump reportedly directed an appointee of his at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to freeze congressionally approved military aid, Trump urged Zelenskyy to open up an investigation into then-candidate Joe Biden and into debunked conspiracies about a Crowdstrike server.
Though Trump insisted there was no "quid pro quo," the conversation implied that for Ukraine to access the aid frozen by OMB, Zelenskyy would have to appoint a prosecutor to open investigations that were politically beneficial to Trump ahead of the 2020 election.
The military aid was withheld for more than two months, and Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor testified that he received "desperate" calls from Ukrainian officials about its status. It wasn't until Politico published an article about the suspicious stall in funding that the aid was finally released.
So when McCarthy—who defended Trump throughout his first impeachment—lamented that weapons didn't get to Ukraine quickly enough, people were quick to remind him part of the reason.
Did you say that to Trump when he withheld the congressionally-authorized military assistance to Ukraine to coerce Zelenskyy to help Trump’s re-election campaign? https://t.co/qovM4zAeY1
— Daniel Goldman (@danielsgoldman) March 7, 2022
McCarthy not only defended Trump illegally disarming Ukraine but said he was right to do so. Shamelessness is their superpower. https://t.co/t8QDpSaDA5
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 7, 2022
Remind us how you voted when Trump got impeached for withholding $391 million in military aid to Ukraine so that he could extort Zelenskyy for dirt on Biden. https://t.co/OeHxPpg9VG
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) March 7, 2022
oh *now* mccarthy is worried about any delays associated with sending military aid to ukraine. glad to see him realize the importance of this issue after it apparently wasn't a big deal to him when trump delayed aid to ukraine for his political purposes. https://t.co/0PM4ngtYdl
— PissedOffLawyer (@PissedOffLawyer) March 7, 2022
WOW looks like Kevy forgot about that phone call Trump made to Zelensky
Where he threatened to withhold military aid to Ukraine unless Zelensky manufactures dirt on Biden. https://t.co/fJ5YQjXbOm
— Cliff W (@CliffW08950229) March 7, 2022
Do you remember when Trump blackmailed President Zelenskyy by refusing to send him javelins and you said it was fine? https://t.co/OXHVcjHbf3
— Ashley Schapitl (@AshleySchapitl) March 7, 2022
Some thought McCarthy and the American people needed a refresher on what Trump's first impeachment was all about.
Honestly Dems should just replay the first Trump impeachment in the oversight committee; start each hearing by reading the transcript of McCarthy saying he thinks Putin pays Trump. https://t.co/9v0gRTnBV9
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) March 7, 2022
When this is all over, we're going to have a long national conversation about what Trump's first impeachment was all about now that folks are paying more attention. https://t.co/fm9XofMNxE
— CavsKermit (@JbkJbk1234) March 7, 2022
Would you like to review the FIRST impeachment of Trump?
I can walk you through it. https://t.co/M4clFGAr5s
— ImSoVirtual (@ImSoVirtual) March 7, 2022
How quickly they forget.
Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images
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