“As someone who fundamentally believes that Russia, China and Iran are not our friends or allies and continues to believe it is important to support Ukraine, it was extremely short-sighted to engage in that type of exchange in front of the US and international press as you work towards an agreement,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) wrote on X. “Sadly, the only winner of today is Vladimir Putin.”
Other swing-state and swing-district Republicans have broken from Trump on the Ukraine-Russia war over the years. Several have opposed Trump calling Zelensky a dictator and hoped the meeting on Friday between the two leaders would cement a continuing partnership between the United States and Ukraine.
However, a heated Oval Office exchange between Trump, Zelensky, and Vice President JD Vance caused Zelensky to leave the White House and cancel most of his planned events in Washington.
“Some want to whitewash the truth, but we cannot ignore the truth,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said in a post to X. “Russia is at fault for this war.”
Bacon, who is one of three Republicans in a district won by former Vice President Kamala Harris, called the meeting “a bad day for America’s foreign policy” in a statement to multiple outlets.
“Ukraine wants independence, free markets, and rule of law. It wants to be part of the West. Russia hates us and our Western values. We should be clear that we stand for freedom,” Bacon added.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), who previously said the mineral resource deal that was to be signed on Friday between the U.S. and Ukraine was akin to “victim extortion,” said it was “heartbreaking” to witness the meeting between the leaders.
“It is time to put understandable emotions aside and come back to the negotiation table,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement. “This can and will be fixed. A strong, sovereign Ukraine is essential for global stability in the face of Putin’s ongoing aggression. Lasting peace can only be achieved through unwavering strength.”
The war between Russia and Ukraine, which marked three years earlier this week, has been one of the most contentious domestic policy matters to split the Republican conference, leading to many controversial votes when it came to funding the war and providing supplies. Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) stood firm with Ukraine, which often became a point of tension between himself and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in the last Congress.
The vice president and president “were caught off guard by Zelenksy’s antics,” and they did not plan to have an acrimonious meeting ahead of time, a source familiar with the White House meeting told the Washington Examiner. The White House also released a list of congressional Republicans and other GOP officials and noted, “Support pours in for President Trump, VP Vance’s America First Strength.”
Ukrainian-American Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) did not join her fellow GOP colleagues in condemning what happened in the Oval Office on Friday afternoon.
Instead, she slammed Zelensky, saying he did Ukrainians a “disservice” and that this is “not a theater act but a real war!”
Most Republicans praised Trump and Vance’s actions as a show of strength. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) applauded Trump for “standing up for America’s best interests.”
“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,” he said in a statement on Friday afternoon.
“President Trump is making it clear the international community must do their fair share instead of solely relying on American taxpayers to foot the bill,” Scott added.
Pro-Ukraine Republicans change their tune on Zelensky
The meeting has led pro-Ukrainian Republicans to distance themselves from Zelensky. Earlier, a bipartisan group of senators met with Zelensky. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, posted a photo of himself on X shaking the Ukrainian president’s hand, writing the delegation met to “discuss Ukraine’s future and the mineral deal brokered by President Trump.”
The Mississippi senator has since deleted that post.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a strong advocate of Ukraine, called the White House meeting “a complete, utter disaster” and said he hoped that the minerals deal would have transformed the relationship between the White House and Zelensky.
“Somebody asked me, am I embarrassed about Trump? I have never been more proud of the president. I was very proud of JD Vance standing up for our country,” Graham told reporters at the White House following the meeting. “What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful, and I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelensky again.”
The South Carolina senator added he is uncertain if the relationship between Zelensky and the White House can be repaired.
“He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change,” Graham said to the Washington Examiner.
The meeting is already being used to tee up primary competition ahead of several Senate Republicans’ reelections in 2026.
“Don’t forget that two weeks ago, John Cornyn flew to Munich to be the star of a Zelensky propaganda video aimed at getting tens of billions more of our tax dollars sent to Ukraine,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said about his home state senator, quoting a video of several senators from both sides of the aisle meeting with Zelensky. “It’s truly unbelievable to watch.”
Nate Morris, a Kentucky Republican who is eyeing McConnell’s open Senate seat, took a shot at the longtime senator in a post to X.
“We don’t need more RINOs in DC like Mitch McConnell who bow to Zelenskyy as some sort of false idol,” Morris said. “What President Trump and VP Vance did today was give a middle finger to the globalists who desperately want a blank check for Ukraine so they can keep this war going on forever.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to McConnell for comment.
Democrats blast ‘planned ambush’ and accuse Trump of bowing to Putin
Congressional Democrats pointed their fingers at Trump and Vance for their actions that led to the meeting becoming explosive. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said the meeting was a “planned ambush.”
“Trump has become Putin’s lapdog, and America’s global power is hemorrhaging as America sides with dictators over democracy. What an embarrassment,” Murphy said.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) called the meeting unprofessional, saying, “We don’t gain anything by acting like bullies.”
“It seemed to me it was just, you know, JD Vance saying, ‘Hey look what I can do, Dad,’ and it doesn’t help the situation,” Kelly said during a Friday appearance on MSNBC. “This negotiation should have been done behind closed doors.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) took a shot at Republicans who praised Trump for his strength and argued a better show of strength would be for Trump to “engage with him in a dignified way.”
“But you would never know that after President Trump’s shameful display. Putin must be overjoyed with today’s theatrics,” Pelosi said. “Following the U.S. vote in alignment with Russia at the United Nations last week, a disturbing pattern has emerged that is contrary to America’s longstanding support of democracy around the world.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) echoed Pelosi and accused Trump and Vance of “doing Putin’s dirty work.”
“Senate Democrats will never stop fighting for freedom and democracy,” Schumer wrote.
TRUMP CUTS SHORT ZELENSKY WHITE HOUSE VISIT AFTER OVAL OFFICE ERUPTION: ‘HE DISRESPECTED’ THE US
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) blasted Trump and the administration for continuing to “embarrass America on the world stage.”
“Today’s White House meeting with the President of Ukraine was appalling and will only serve to further embolden Vladimir Putin, a brutal dictator,” Jeffries said in a statement following the meeting. “The United States must not reward Russian aggression and continue to appease Putin.”
Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.
