Capitol Hill reacts to Trump-Zelenskyy White House clash

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - After President Donald Trump’s tense White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, reaction is pouring in from of Congress and foreign policy experts.

The confrontational meeting that ended with the Ukrainian leader’s abrupt departure quickly led to shock waves across Washington with some praising Trump while others onished him.

“I have never been more proud of the president,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who was at the White House. “I was very proud of J.D. Vance, standing up for our country. We want to be helpful. What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful, and I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelenskyy again.”

Other Republican lawmakers felt similarly like House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) saying in part in a statement on X: “Thanks to President Trump - the days of America being taken advantage of and disrespected are OVER.”

Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) wrote on X, “Finally we have a President who will speak the TRUTH and stand up against Washington’s endless wars.”

Democrats in Congress saw the meeting very differently and criticized President Trump’s handling of it. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) posted on X, “Trump and Vance are doing Putin’s dirty work. Senate Democrats will never stop fighting for freedom and democracy.”

House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said in a statement that the meeting “was appalling and will only serve to further embolden Vladimir Putin, a brutal dictator. The United States must not reward Russian aggression and continue to appease Putin.”

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) wrote on X, “Trump’s actions today in the Oval are beyond bizarre. Today is a great victory for authoritarians across the globe — Trump is abandoning our allies and embracing our adversaries.”

Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, including ranking member Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), issued a statement after the clash that said:

“Today’s behavior by President Trump and Vice President Vance would be more shocking if it wasn’t the new normal that this istration is forcing on our allies, partners and even our own citizens. Russia has not been able to break Ukraine’s spirit nor its will to fight. We are certain President Trump’s childish tantrum will not reach that objective either. Ukrainians have strong bipartisan for their fight in Congress and Ukrainian flags continue to hang across our communities in the United States. We stand with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and will continue to condemn Putin’s aggression toward the brave and honorable citizenry of Ukraine.”

Foreign policy experts like Anatol Lieven, director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, also spoke out after the meeting, saying that they believe Zelenskyy was unprepared to handle the Trump istration’s approach.

“Zelensky was profoundly foolish. And also, basically unbriefed, it seems, on Trump’s attitudes,” he said.

Fellow scholar at the Quincy Institute, George Beebe observed, “Oftentimes, the Biden istration acceded to Zelensky’s demands. And I think this conditioned Zelensky to believe that this is a path toward success. You know, like when Washington is doing, you go public with criticism. Washington backs down. I don’t think he realized he was dealing with a fundamentally different cast of characters in Trump.”

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