Two Republican congressmen accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of interfering in U.S. elections following his visit to a Pennsylvania arms factory, where he appeared with only Democratic officials.
During an appearance on Newsmax's "The Chris Salcedo Show" on Thursday, Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., and Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., criticized Zelenskyy's visit and his comments about Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance labeling him as "too radical."
"I support the good people of Ukraine. I get it. But now we have Zelenskyy in our country telling us who to vote for the presidency," Van Drew stated, referencing Zelenskyy's critique of GOP candidates.
The Ukrainian leader visited a munitions factory last Sunday, accompanied by Democratic officials, a move that has sparked backlash from some Republican lawmakers. Zelenskyy toured the facility to thank workers who have played a critical role in supplying ammunition to Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia, Politico reported.
"I don't like it. It smells like a rat," Alford said.
"I talked with someone inside the DOD [Department of Defense] about this personally. They assured me that, 'Hey, this was just a way they normally do business when a foreign dignitary comes over. They want to visit someplace.'
"They insisted it was not a campaign event. But here's Zelenskyy going to Pennsylvania signing artillery shells with his name on them that are eventually going to hit some targets in Russia."
Alford expressed his discomfort with the optics of Zelenskyy's visit, suggesting it could be seen as political favoritism.
"I guess if [President Joe] Biden allows him to go into Russia with those, I don't like the optics of it," Alford said.
"I think Zelenskyy, if he wants to come here and beg for money, stay in Washington, do it. If you want to say thank you to those building artillery and equipment in other parts of the U.S., let us take care of that."
When asked about Zelenskyy's comments regarding the GOP, Van Drew said he viewed the Ukrainian president's remarks as "wrong" and a form of election interference.
"It is interference. You know what I call it, though? Wrong. It disgusts me what he did — absolutely wrong," Van Drew said.
He also drew comparisons between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting both leaders would prefer a weaker U.S. president.
"But you know what Zelenskyy and Putin have in common?" Van Drew asked.
"They both want a weak president so they can get what they want and do what they want. It's interesting that both Putin and Zelenskyy support [Vice President Kamala] Harris."
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Tenn., launched an investigation into the visit on Wednesday. The inquiry aims to understand the circumstances of the visit, which involved several Democratic officials and no Republicans.
Republicans have criticized the visit, interpreting it as a show of support for the Democratic Party.
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