The White House said support was pouring in for President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance from Republican lawmakers and the Cabinet in the aftermath of the explosive meeting in the Oval Office on Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that prematurely ended negotiations.
Trump and Vance both chided Zelenskyy for debating Trump in the Oval Office in front of the American media ahead of what was supposed to be a day of finalizing terms for a rare earth minerals deal that the Trump administration hoped would be the prelude to a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia to end the three-year war.
In a Truth Social post later, Trump said Zelenskyy “disrespected the United States” and “can come back when he is ready for Peace."
“Amen, Mr. President,” posted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“I’ve never been more proud of President Trump for showing the American people — and the world — you don't trifle with this man ... He wanted to get a ceasefire. He wants to end the war and Zelenskyy felt like he needed to bait Trump in the Oval Office,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a post to X.
Wrote Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, “I am so proud of our Commander-in-Chief. Thank you President @RealDonaldTrump and @VP for standing up for America. We will not tolerate the political games and disrespect of America. America is back.”
The rare earth minerals deal was framed by Trump as part payback for the hundreds of billions the United States sent to Ukraine during the Biden administration. However, it was also to help seed reconstruction of Ukraine once the war is over.
“Remember: the U.S. Senate has repeatedly and for years voted BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars to Ukraine with no strings attached and with no true oversight. It’s time for some ACCOUNTABILITY,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said in a post.
Wrote Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio: “Finally we have a President who will speak the TRUTH and stand up against Washington’s endless wars. American taxpayers have been funding this war, it’s time to stop the killing and stop risking World War 3!”
In the end, however, Trump has maintained he wants peace but accused Zelenskyy of using the U.S. as a cudgel to gain “a big advantage in negotiations.”
“President Trump is fighting for PEACE around the world and is putting America First as our best negotiator — he’s the only one to get Russia to the table to consider a serious and lasting peace agreement with Ukraine,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., called the display “ridiculous grandstanding” by Zelenskyy.
“The United States has spent hundreds of billions of dollars to defend Ukraine. And this is the thanks the American people get? It’s time to end this war,” he said in a post to X.