There was significant backlash after numerous House Democrats celebrated the passage of $95 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine by waving Ukrainian flags on the House floor and chanting “Ukraine! Ukraine! Ukraine!”
This behavior violated House protocol and was seen as unpatriotic by conservatives given it did not involve American flags.
While the aid bill passed with support from some Republicans, most GOP members opposed it.
NEW VIDEO from @RepThomasMassie: "This is the U.S. House of Representatives under the direction of Speaker Mike Johnson."
"Democrats are celebrating his total capitulation with no victory for securing our border." pic.twitter.com/ljOc6UqhI2
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) April 20, 2024
Senators Rand Paul and Eric Schmitt were among those criticizing the “Ukraine first, America last” display, noting America’s border remains unsecure despite funds going abroad.
“All Democrats waiving Ukrainian flags on your House floor when the bill passed sending another 60B of your treasure to fund the war machine,” Rep. Clay Higgins said. “100% deficit money. Borrowed on the backs of your children. Wake up America.”
“Ukrainian flags fly in the chamber of the UNITED STATES House of Representatives as they vote to send more of your hard-earned money to a corrupt foreign regime. And just like that they shout ‘UKRAINE! UKRAINE!’ while happily working to secure Ukraine’s borders, not ours,” Paul said.
“Ukrainian flags fly as they chant Ukraine! Ukraine! in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives,” Schmitt said. “America’s border isn’t secure but they voted to send tens of billions more to secure Ukraine’s. This is what Ukraine First, America Last looks like.”
Commentators slammed the Democrats’ actions as “disgusting” and “traitorous,” with some noting public resentment could grow over prioritizing foreign spending over domestic needs.
“To recap: Yesterday, the US Congress approved $61 billion to protect Ukraine and $0.00 to protect the US border,” one X user wrote. “After the vote, they cheered and waved Ukraine flags and chanted ‘Ukraine Ukraine’.”
“Note – neither party has ever worked together to pass a bill to help Americans then euphorically waved USA flags,” he added. “Afterwards, both parties ran to social media to mock tax paying US citizens for wanting our money spent here, then called tax paying US citizens who don’t want to fund every foreign war around the globe, isolationists, Putin Puppets, and every name in the book.”
“Calling these disgusting traitors ‘gutter trash’ is being too kind,” he added.
“The French Revolution was an awful affair full of mob violence,” conservative Jesse Kelley said. “It’s nothing to celebrate. That said, I understand it much better now than I did years ago. People will remember these things when the troubles come. They will.”
