Last Updated on January 7, 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky became one of the first international figures to congratulate Kevin McCarthy on his newly-minted speakership in the wee hours of Saturday morning and even tossed in a request for American money in the process. McCarthy, whose speakership campaign had been blocked by conservatives for days, finally won the gavel on the 15th round of voting after the process was manipulated, allowing him to win with less than the 218 votes that are usually required.
“Congratulations to @GOPLeader on his election as the Speaker of the [US] House of Representatives,” Zelensky tweeted from his official account, becoming one of the first international leaders to congratulate the newly-minted Speaker McCarthy, before begging for more American money.
“US support in all fields has been vital for [Ukraine’s] success on the battlefield,” he went on, using flag emojis to symbolize the different countries.
“We’re counting on your continued support and further U.S. assistance to bring our common victory closer,” he concluded.
Kevin McCarthy: The Speaker Who Couldn’t Get 218 Votes
Throughout McCarthy’s speakership campaign, his coziness with foreign powers and their influence operations was seen as a massive liability and a potential national security issue by conservatives.
Throughout the 2022 midterms, McCarthy used campaign cash from FTX, the corrupt crypto exchange linked to Ukraine, to sabotage America First candidates and protect his establishment allies, and even Democrats.
Since the current chapter of Ukraine’s war with Russia kicked off last year, McCarthy and other GOP establishment members have been more than willing to toss American money into Ukraine, and are showing no signs of stopping.
Recently, politicians in DC began calling for the US to start expediting tanks and other heavy weaponry to Ukraine, at the same time that Ukrainian propagandist accounts on Twitter and other social platforms began demanding tanks and more from the United States and her allies.
It is unclear if McCarthy will submit to Zelensky’s continued demands, or if conservatives will be able to hold him accountable, thanks to the rule changes reportedly agreed to that will take much of the power out of the speaker’s hands and return it to rank-and-file members of Congress – the People’s Representatives.
Related: Zelensky to Join World Economic Forum at Davos, Partner With BlackRock to ‘Rebuild’ Ukraine
Kevin McCarthy’s speakership is developing, as are the congressional actions that will follow his installation. Stick with National File for updates and continued coverage as conservatives fight to hold McCarthy accountable and get rid of Nancy Pelosi’s left-wing House Rules, once and for all.