Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina told supporters at a campaign event over the weekend that he thought Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a “thug overseeing an evil government” and appeared to defend Russia’s invasion of the country, local station WRAL5 reports.
“Remember that Zelenskyy is a thug,” Cawthorn said in a video obtained by WRAL. “Remember that the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt and is incredibly evil and has been pushing woke ideologies.”
However, one hour after WRAL reported the comments, Cawthorn appeared to walk back his remarks, saying on Twitter that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions are “disgusting.”
“I am praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” he said on Thursday afternoon, according to the station.
The outer reported that Cowthorn “also sought to justify calling Zelenskyy a ‘thug’ by accusing the Ukrainian president of pushing ‘misinformation on America.’ He posted a link to a conservative blog post with examples, including a story of Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island who were feared to have been killed in a Feb. 24 Russian attack later being reported as ‘alive and well.'”
Cawthorn’s remark was met with fierce backlash from across the political spectrum.
Republican state Sen. Chuck Edwards clapped back at the congressman’s remarks.
“Let’s be clear. The thug is Vladimir Putin,” Edwards wrote on Twitter. “We must unite as a nation to pray for President Zelenskyy and the brave people of Ukraine who are fighting for their lives and their freedom. Anything less is counter to everything we stand for in America.”
Karl Rove, who served as former President George W. Bush’s deputy chief of staff, first reported Cawthorn’s remarks in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece. He wrote that the event took place in Asheville over the weekend and said he thought the remarks “didn’t reflect Republican opinion.”
Hours after Cawthorn’s remarks, state House lawmakers unanimously passed a resolution in support of Ukraine by a 112-0 vote, according to WRAL.
North Carolina state Rep. Larry Pittman, a Cabarrus County Republican who is among the most right-leaning members of his party, said North Carolinians should support Zelenskyy.
The resolution in part says the chamber “stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they fight for their freedom.” It was brought forward by GOP House Speaker Tim Moore.
“There can be no moral ambiguity about where we should stand,” Moore said.
Watch the video below and some responses below:
Madison Cawthorn told a crowd of supporters that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is a "thug" leading a government that is "incredibly evil" pic.twitter.com/u0NRl69Cwf
— ~𝓣𝓮𝓷𝓪𝓬𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓣𝓮𝓪𝓱~ (@TeahCartel) March 10, 2022
🚨🚨 #PrinciplesFirst alert:@SenJoniErnst (R-IA) takes Cawthorn to school for calling Zelensky a thug: “I would push back on my colleague in the House. Putin is an actual murderous thug. Russia invaded Ukraine. Ukrainians want to be free.” pic.twitter.com/QNhmPySy1Y
— Principles First (@Principles_1st) March 10, 2022
Cawthorn called Zelensky a “Thug” and Ukraine evil. That little fucking weasel is now trying to walk it back when he didn’t get the support from his GOP buddies. Let’s not let that fucker forget! #CawthornIsAThug
— LGLady (@lgandy2414) March 11, 2022
Poster boy for the Fascist-like, far-right Republican Party is now echoing Putin’s propaganda.
Clear the GOP covets the autocracy of Putin’s control of Russia.
GOP is like Russia, and nothing like Ukraine.#wtpBLUE #DemVoice1 #OVFL #ONEV1 #DemCastFL https://t.co/PxwrBlcbgC
— The time is now 2021, Democracy is at stake 🌊🌊 (@TimeIsNow2020) March 11, 2022
Rep. Madison Cawthorn called President Zelensky a "thug" and the Ukrainian government "incredibly evil,"
I think Cawthorn is jealous. Zelensky is everything he’s not.— CL Payne (@PractialMagic) March 11, 2022
Zelensky is battling for the literal existence of his country, and @CawthornforNC is calling Ukraine "evil" and Zelensky a "thug."
I guess looking pretty on TV does not qualify you to be a member of Congress…or the human race.
— Michael J. Stern (@MichaelJStern1) March 10, 2022
Putin propagandist Madison Cawthorn called President Zelensky a "thug."
Zelensky is a hero, and Cawthorn is a joke.
— Aaron Parnas (@AaronParnas) March 10, 2022
