Mitch McConnell criticizes Tucker Carlson for influencing Republicans against Ukraine aid

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell took a shot at Tucker Carlson on Tuesday, accusing the former Fox News host of turning Americans against the idea of sending aid to Ukraine.

“I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin,” McConnell told reporters during a Capitol Hill news conference.

The Kentucky Republican was referring to Carlson’s two-hour interview with the Russian president in February.

“He had an enormous audience, which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this [aid] was a mistake,” McConnell said.

.@LeaderMcConnell: “I think the demonization of Ukraine began by @TuckerCarlson, who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, which is interviewing Vladimir Putin.” pic.twitter.com/brVaYt4Eek

— CSPAN (@cspan) April 23, 2024

McConnell’s comments came on the heels of the House passing a $95 billion aid package, which includes $61 billion for Ukraine alone.

The Senate is likely to vote on the bill soon, according to CNN. When asked by CNN whether he thought the package would pass, the minority leader simply responded, “Hope so.”

It’s a shocking move for McConnell to bash a media figure for interviewing a world leader, especially one at the center of a pressing conflict to which the United States has already devoted so many billions of dollars.

Despite some backlash, Carlson’s interview was one of the few times the country has been given the chance to see the Russia-Ukraine war from a point of view not vetted and approved by the establishment apparatus.

Whatever one thinks of Putin and his comments during that interview, free and open journalism must be encouraged if we want to uncover the truth.

Meanwhile, McConnell continues to put the interests of Ukraine over everyday Americans. He fails to see that the seemingly endless aid just isn’t popular with the people he is supposed to be representing.

A Gallup poll from November found that a plurality of Americans believe the U.S. is “doing too much to help Ukraine.”

Unfortunately, however, Congress isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, as evidenced by the most recent aid package. It’s no wonder that the Real Clear Polling average shows the congressional disapproval rating at 73.7 percent.

McConnell has been too content to allow billions of taxpayer dollars to be shipped overseas since the conflict began two years ago. He’s failed to fight for the American people.

Seeing as he is on his way out as the GOP Senate leader in November, it’s crucial that Republicans appoint someone to replace him who will put America first.

Our congressional leaders must come up with an actual strategy with respect to Ukraine, stop spending so much time and money on elongating foreign wars and instead do more to help their constituents.