One week after saying he doesn’t give AF about what happens in Ukraine, Republican Senate candidate JD Vance of Ohio suddenly cares very deeply for the Eastern European country that is currently being invaded by Russian forces.
Last week, the “Hillbilly Elegy” author went on Steve Bannon’s podcast to say, “I gotta be honest with you, I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.”
He added that he didn’t enlist in the Marines “to go and fight Vladmir Putin because he didn’t believe in transgender rights,” implying that’s the reason why the United States didn’t want Russia to invade Ukraine.
OH Senate candidate JD Vance: “I think it’s ridiculous that we are focused on this border in Ukraine. I got to be honest with you, I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other.” pic.twitter.com/QtZbckZf0b
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 19, 2022
Vance followed that up with a statement saying, “spare me the performative affection for the Ukraine” and calling it “a corrupt nation run by oligarchs, that is as close to a functional democracy in 2022 as Afghanistan was when Joe Biden handed it over to the Taliban in 2021.”
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Now, one week and one Russian invasion later, Vance is changing his tune. Yesterday, he issued a statement calling the invasion “unquestionably a tragedy”, blasting Joe Biden and “media elites”, and praising Donald Trump for his excellent diplomacy.
“Trump deserves an incredible amount of credit for the strength and diplomatic engagement that kept Putin in check—and Biden an equal amount of blame for his lack of leadership,” he said.
Our leaders should be honest with the American people and admit what they really want: military intervention from American or NATO troops. This would be a disaster, and we must stand against it under any circumstance.
FULL STATEMENT: pic.twitter.com/CIcPp6T8nP
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) February 24, 2022
In his statement, Vance failed to mention how Trump has been gushing over Putin since the invasion, or how Russian officials have begun running the ex-president’s flattering comments on state television, or how Russia has reportedly created a “kill list” which is believed to include LGBTQ Ukrainians, as well as journalists, activists, ethnic and religious minorities, and the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Related: LGBTQ Ukrainians stand strong amid Russian attacks and rumored queer “kill list”
Russian authorities have denied the existence of such a list, characterizing it as anti-Russian propaganda. But the U.S. told the United Nations this week that a hit list of “identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps” does, indeed, exist. And Valeriy Chaly, Ukraine’s former ambassador to the U.S., tells Newsweek, “No doubt they not only have this list. … ‘Kill lists’ are a special instrument in their dirty game.”
Many on Twitter have been expressing their concerns for the LGBTQ Ukrainians whose lives are now at risk. Here’s what they’re saying…
LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine are in danger of being sent to concentration camps and right wing pundits are basically saying “serves you right” https://t.co/ZulJsh1caB
— Philip J. Ellis (he/him) (@Philip_Ellis) February 25, 2022
To my lgbtq+ brothers, sisters, they/them in Ukraine stay safe. We are with you #pride
— Adam Jackson (@AdamJac80107609) February 24, 2022
https://twitter.com/MavenOfMayhem/status/1497206545771343878
https://twitter.com/pmc871/status/1496806907125940228
Russia's recent actions will undoubtedly endanger the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals and all people in Ukraine. We cannot sit by as human rights are violated on a global scale.
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) February 24, 2022
Solidarity with our LGBTQ+ siblings in ?? Ukraine @KyivPride We @stonewalluk will do everything we can to support you and uplift your voice. https://t.co/ibWEuKgPk9
— Nancy Kelley (@Nancy_M_K) February 24, 2022
https://twitter.com/WVermassen/status/1496846345549746176
https://twitter.com/LGBTQ2SStrong/status/1496887569694572549
Wishing for all citizens of Ukraine, especially the LGBT+ communities, to stay safe ???????????
— Benby ??? (@bennybenby) February 24, 2022
https://twitter.com/JimmySomerville/status/1496801607673163780
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
Cam
Vance found out there are around 80,000 people of Ukrainian decent in his state. SUDDENY he cares.
Kangol2
He’s a fake wannabe MAGA jack@ss! So far Ohio Republicans see right through him too!
jcool
kangol is correct. vance’s poll numbers continue to tank.
Chrisk
Dipshit must’ve missed the part where Donnie was just praising putin or back when he first tried to steal the election by blackmailing the Ukrainian President to plant dirt on Biden.
SamB
So the western LGBTQ++ people are trying to take his terrible tragedy that’s happening to an entire country and make it about… themselves? This truly shows you how self-involved these people are.
Bosch
Holy narcissistic personality disorder, Sam. You are the last person who should be lecturing people on self-involvement.
Bosch
You know, if you’re gonna pretend to be a gay man from Canada, maybe not refer to your own community as “western”.
SamB
Bosch: I called out the west because we have bad habit of taking everything and making it about ME. People put the Ukrainian flag in their profile pic and truly think they’re “doing something” but they’re just virtue signaling.
I don’t pretend anything and despite what some whack jobs on here think, I don’t have the time nor the energy to log in and out using different screen names to comment. There really are a number of people who, shockingly, do not have the exact same opinion as you.
Heywood Jablowme
It’s called “empathy,” a word you’d need to look up.
SamB
Heywood: I have empathy for the Ukrainians. I can’t believe what’s happening to them especially when the country has been doing better and better every year. Slowly coming around to their gay population, the economy starting to get better, it’s a tragedy.
What I don’t have empathy for are the North American “queer” people making this about themselves.
Bosch
Sam, you’ve taken a terrible tragedy that’s happening to an entire country and make it about… your need to complain about LGBT people? This truly shows us how self-involved you are.
SamB
Bosch: That’s your take on it.
Bosch
Sam: it’s everyone who reads your message’s take on it.
Bosch
“I sympathise with the Ukrainians so much better than these virtue signalling western lgbts!”
That’s virtue signalling. That’s virtue signalception.
SamB
Bosch: No it’s not. I was explaining to someone where my empathy was because he accused me of having none.
barryaksarben
lol really pathetic attempt at trolling sam. You are looking like Eric trump with this one
Cam
@SamB
Right wing troll account comes in to deflect from the Pro Putin Republican.
Sweetie, your trolling is obvious and boring.
Polaro
Anyone who says he doesn’t care what happens to Ukraine should never be considered for public office.
Heywood Jablowme
A week ago, the “hillbilly” from southern Ohio probably didn’t know there are a lot of voters of Ukrainian descent in northern Ohio. Oops!
Kangol2
This Yale-educated phony Vance is showing himself to be a total fool with his praise for Don the Con, who stands out among GQP leaders for his slavish praise of Putin. Pompeo is another GQP dupe.
Let’s not forget, Don the Con DENIED $400 million in military aid to Ukraine because he wanted to force Volodomyr Zelenskyy to smear Joe Biden. To his credit Zelenskyy, the popularly elected president of Ukraine, refused to participate. As a result of this, DJT was impeached the first time!
Vance’s and the rest of the Right-wing’s beloved Don the Con did Putin’s bidding repeatedly, whether it was with Ukraine, Syria, NATO, you name it. Now even Tucker Carlson is scrambling to backtrack on the effusive praise for the brutal, bloodthirsty dictator Vladimir Putin.
As I told a friend yesterday, you can criticize the US’s long history of horrific imperialism all you want (and it does need to be criticized and critiqued) and even make claims about the actions of Western European nations, the EU, and NATO, but NONE of that excuses what we are witnessing in real time, which is an all out assault by a deranged dictator on an independent, sovereign, parliamentary democracy!
My2CentsWorth
“… but NONE of that excuses what we are witnessing in real time … is an all out assault by a deranged dictator”
True.
rbernard
Vance is a mess, he is losing in the polls, and fortunately, unelectable, regardless of Peter Thiel’s money.
Eternal.Cowboy
SamB complaint about other people being self absorbed is peak irony given how much attention he craves and levels he sinks to to get it.