Congressional Republicans reacted with a mixture of shock, dismay and—mostly—fealty to Donald Trump after the president’s extraordinary takedown of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday.
Only two Republicans in the House dared criticize the president publicly. In contrast a string of senators praised Trump after the angry performance.
Rep. Don Bacon called the stunning development—in which both Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated the war-weary Ukrainian leader, scrapping a chance to sign a rare minerals deal—a “bad day for America’s foreign policy.”
“Ukraine wants independence, free markets and rule of law,” Bacon, a moderate Republican from Nebraska, said in a statement to the Daily Beast. “It wants to be part of the West. Russia hates us and our Western values. We should be clear that we stand for freedom.”
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican who leads the Problem Solvers Caucus, didn’t mention the president by name but said, “It was heartbreaking to witness the turn of events that transpired in today’s meeting regarding Ukraine’s future. It is time to put understandable emotions aside and come back to the negotiation table. This can and will be fixed. A strong, sovereign Ukraine is essential for global stability in the face of Putin’s ongoing aggression.”
Fitzpatrick expressed optimism that Trump and Zelensky will resume talks to find a “mutually agreeable solution.”
“This is the only acceptable outcome,” he said.
About an hour before the anger-filled spectacle in the Oval Office, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker posted a photo of himself and other smiling senators at a bipartisan meeting they held with Zelensky earlier Friday.
“Today several U.S. senators had the opportunity to meet President Zelenskyy to discuss Ukraine’s future and the mineral deal brokered by President Trump,” Wicker said on X. “This is a huge step forward in securing mutual prosperity and peace for Americans and Ukrainians.”
Wicker removed the post from the social media platform after the Oval Office debacle, in a clear show of allegiance to Trump.
Another GOP lawmaker who supports Ukraine’s cause against Russian aggression called the Oval Office meltdown “a missed opportunity for both Ukraine and the United States and a big win for Vladimir Putin.”
Still, even with the promise of anonymity in order to speak freely, the House Republican blamed the Ukrainian president—not Trump. “President Zelenskyy made a terrible mistake in the Oval Office today.”
Another House Republican who was granted anonymity in order to give a candid assessment of Trump’s inhospitable treatment of Zelensky told the Daily Beast, “This kind of reckless rhetoric and behavior from Trump and Vance is only making the world more dangerous and unstable.”
The lawmaker added that Russian President Vladamir Putin, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, and Iran’s Ayatollah are “dancing in celebration.”
Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a fellow supporter of Zelensky, posted a different snippet from the bipartisan meeting with Zelensky.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who was seen smiling with Zelensky earlier Friday in the photo posted by Klobuchar, suggested after the White House clamor that it’s time for a leadership change if Ukraine wants continued U.S. support.
“The question for me, for the Ukrainian people: I don’t know if Zelensky can ever get you where you want to go with the United States,” said Graham, a close Trump ally who traditionally has been a national security hawk during his three decades in Congress. “Either he dramatically changes or you gotta get someone new.”
Vance and Trump shouted over Zelensky in front of reporters and live TV cameras during the Oval Office meeting. The vice president asked at one point “Have you said thank you once?” The president told Zelensky, “You don’t have the cards right now” as the Ukrainian leader tried to answer.
“You’re gambling with World War III,” said Trump, who cancelled a planned joint press conference with the Ukrainian leader who has been battling Russian forces since they invaded his country three years ago.
Later in a statement, Zelensky said “thank you” repeatedly.
Sen. Jim Banks, an ultraconservative freshman member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, applauded the president’s takedown of Zelensky, saying, “I’m proud of President Trump for putting America first and not backing down to those like Zelensky who take advantage of America.”
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) also praised Trump’s Oval Office performance.
“Gone are the days of President Biden’s weak appeasement policies and global handouts. America is the greatest country in the world – no one gets to lecture our President in the Oval Office and disrespect America’s generosity.”
Former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, who lost her congressional seat for opposing Trump on myriad issues, including his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, had a predictably different reaction.
“Generations of American patriots, from our revolution onward, have fought for the principles Zelenskyy is risking his life to defend,” Cheney said. “But today, Donald Trump and JD Vance attacked Zelenskyy and pressured him to surrender the freedom of his people to the KGB war criminal who invaded Ukraine. History will remember this day—when an American President and Vice President abandoned all we stand for.”
Rep. Victoria Spartz, a Ukrainian-born Indiana Republican, accused Zelensky of “doing a serious disservice to the Ukrainian people insulting the American President and the American people - just to appease Europeans and increase his low polling in Ukraine after he failed miserably to defend his country.”
