As the Russian military advances deeper into Ukrainian territory, Russian propaganda has been referring to the invasion as a “special military operation.” However, here in the United States, many within the right-wing political sphere have been firm apologists for Vladimir Putin. 

Take North Carolina Congressman, Madison Cawthorn, as an example. Since the beginning of the Russian aggression towards Ukraine, Cawthron has given several controversial statements on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In a video that was taken by the local TV station, Cawthorn called Zelenskyy a “thug” and the Ukrainian Government, “incredibly evil.”

It is downright laughable to hear Cawthorn call the President of Ukraine a “thug.” Zelenskyy is arguably one of the bravest men in the world at this point in history. While Russian troopers have been coming after him, he has remained present in Kiev aiding the fight against Russian onslaught. This is something that Cawthorn would never have the courage to do. 

The only association Cawthorn has with military action is the public lie he told on his rejection to the U.S. Naval Academy. He claimed that he could not attend the military academy due to an injury resulting from a car crash when in fact, the car crash happened after he got rejected by the naval academy. 

Cawthorn’s comment have received criticism from his own party. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham called Cawthorn an “outlier” while Iowa senator Joni Ernst told to her colleague in the House that it’s not Ukraine that is invading Russia, but it is Russia invading Ukraine. What an insightful thing to say. Longtime conservative political commentator Carl Roves also joined the force of criticism against Cawthorn. 

Meanwhile on Fox News, the chief Russian propagandist Tucker Carlson and former Hawaiian Congresswoman Tulsi Gubbard have also taken on Putin’s side, blaming the U.S. stating it had directly prompted the Russian invasion. In a monologue, Carlson asked, “Has Putin ever called me a racist? Has he threatened to get me fired for disagreeing with him? Has he shipped every middle-class job in my town to Russia?” 

It is funny to see Carlson calling himself “not-racist” when he has been criticized on his racist point of view since the beginning of his career at Fox News. Moreover, Carlson’s Pro-Russian comment made Russian national television and a Pro-Putin political commentator praised Carlson’s comment as good analysis. 

Meanwhile, former Hawaiian Congresswoman Tulsi Gubbard has also been promoting misinformation stating that the Ukrainian government has been making chemical weapons. Criticism is mounting regarding their position on the conflict. CNN political commentator Ana Navarro suggested that they should be investigated by the Department of Justice. 

A lot of this rhetoric comes from former President Donald Trump. During his presidency, Trump was known for praising and shielding Putin from U.S. intelligence. One prominent example is the events that took place at the Helsinki summit. 

During the joint press conference between Putin, a reporter asked Trump whether he believed his own intelligence assessment or Putin regarding the 2016 election. Trump declared that “President Putin says it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be.” 

The former President’s comments are not only some of the most scandalous moments in U.S. politics, but it is also making Moscow complacent. Due to their complacency and lack of defense from the former administration, Moscow attacked the 2020 election by posting false information of the media. Sadly, the former administration and the far right has been ignoring it. 

Cawthorn, Carlson, and Gubbard’s language is an act of treason and anti-democratic. Their behavior is an attempt to defend Putin—a war criminal with blood on his hands. The Republican Party needs to suppress the absurd apologist language coming from these forces.