Zelensky Chooses Applause From Democrats Over Survival
By listening to those who flatter his ego but are only interested in 'resisting' Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hurt his cause.By listening to those who flatter his ego but are only interested in 'resisting' Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hurt his cause.Democrats flip-flop on 'fake peace agreement' following Zelenskyy's Oval Office meltdown
Democratic lawmakers are struggling to keep their story straight in the aftermath of the now infamous Oval Office spat between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance on Friday.
Zelenskyy's combative meeting with Trump and Vance sent politicos into a tailspin, prompting some of his longtime supporters like Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina to denounce the Ukrainian president. At the same time, Democrats like Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut were left scrambling to defend Zelenskyy, causing a slew of mixed messages in the media.
While Democrats try to sort out their own narrative, Trump has consistently upheld his own position.
Murphy at first insisted that the minerals deal was a "fake peace agreement" that would force Ukraine to submit to President Vladimir Putin's will. At the same time, Murphy said that he encouraged Zelenskyy to sign the very deal he criticized just days before.
"Just finished a meeting with President Zelensky here in Washington," Murphy said moments before the Oval Office spat. "He confirmed that the Ukrainian people will not support a fake peace agreement where Putin gets everything he wants and there are no security arrangements for Ukraine."
"This is the latest MAGA conspiracy," Murphy later said in response to a headline claiming Democrats pressured Zelenskyy to reject the peace deal. "Total lie. The meeting with [Zelenskyy] was bipartisan - led by a Senate Republican. We all encouraged him to sign the minerals deal. But yes - he did make clear he wouldn’t accept a bad 'ceasefire' deal that sold out his country."
Murphy's bizarre messaging continued during an appearance on CNN, where he claimed that Zelenskyy was somehow both "ready to sign the agreement" but also "had an obligation" to have a conversation with Trump about the "disaster that would be wrought for Ukraine" if the agreement was signed.
Murphy is not the only Democrat who has had difficulty messaging on the fallout from Zelenskyy's Oval Office appearance. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut originally categorized the minerals deal as a "step toward strengthening American support for Ukraine" but later said the deal was just "Trump's appeasement to Putin."
"An inspiring, heartening conversation with President Zelenskyy this morning," Blumenthal said Friday. "The agreement today is a step toward strengthening American support for Ukraine, but real, reliable security guarantees are needed. We must be consistent in our steadfast commitment to Ukraine."
"Trump’s appeasement to Putin—Peace at Any Price—makes him Moscow’s perfect mouthpiece," Blumenthal said of the peace deal. "Zelenskyy wants peace but not at the price of Ukraine’s freedom & independence. Europe is supporting him. So should we. Kremlin propaganda is applauding & lauding Trump—a disgrace for America."
While Democrats try to sort out their own narrative, Trump has consistently upheld his own position.
"The only President who gave none of Ukraine’s land to Putin’s Russia is President Donald J. Trump," Trump said in a Monday Truth Social post. "Remember that when the weak and ineffective [Democrats] criticize, and the Fake News gladly puts out anything they say!"
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Sen. Graham's support for Zelenskyy slips following heated Oval Office exchange
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina came out against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy despite previously funneling aid to Ukraine.
This change in tone comes after Zelenskyy's remarkably heated exchange with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office on Friday as America mediates peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. As a result of the escalated exchange, the joint presser between Trump and Zelenskyy as well as the signing of the minerals deal was canceled.
'Either he dramatically changes, or you need to get somebody new.'
"He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office," Trump said in a statement Friday. "He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
As a result of the tense shouting match, Zelenskyy managed to lose the support from one of his most reliable advocates on the Hill.
"I urged him to stay on message," Graham said of Zelenskyy. "Be grateful, be thankful. We'll talk about details and security guarantees later. Keep it upbeat. Keep it positive."
"It was an absolute, utter disaster," Graham said. "The question for me is: Is he redeemable in the eyes of Americans? Most Americans witnessing what they saw today would not want Zelenskyy to be his business partner, including me, and I've been to Ukraine nine times since the war started. I met with him this morning."
ZELENSKYY HAS OFFICIALLY LOST LINDSEY GRAHAM: “For the Ukrainian people… Either Zelenskyy dramatically changes or you need to get somebody new.” pic.twitter.com/0fINT2hwgm
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) February 28, 2025
Graham referred to the meeting as "a missed opportunity," questioning the efficacy of Zelenskyy's leadership going forward.
"You don't trifle with this man," Graham said of Trump. "He was very positive. He was very upbeat. He wanted to get a ceasefire. He wants to end the war. And Zelenskyy felt like he needed to debate Trump in the Oval Office."
"This was a missed opportunity," Graham added. "I don't know if Zelenskyy can ever get you to where you want to go with the United States. Either he dramatically changes, or you need to get somebody new."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
How YOUR tax dollars are being WASTED in Ukraine — will Trump END this?
Unlike Joe Biden, President Donald Trump is not going easy on Ukraine.
At a press conference in Mar-a-Lago, Trump suggested that Ukraine provoked the war in Russia and that the country, run by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, should hold another election. Later, in a Truth Social post, he called Zelenskyy a “dictator” and pointed out the billions of dollars sent his way under the Biden administration.
“Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and ‘TRUMP,’ will never be able to settle,” Trump wrote in his post.
Trump also pointed out in the same post that President Zelenskyy “admits that half the money we sent him is ‘MISSING.’”
However, not everyone feels the same as Trump.
Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) budget reconciliation package includes guaranteed aid to Ukraine until 2030.
“They’re sitting on 10 to 12 trillion dollars of critical minerals in Ukraine. They could be the richest country in all of Europe. I don’t want to give that money, and those assets, to Putin to share with China. If we help Ukraine now, they can become the best business partner we ever dreamed of,” Graham said while promoting his bill.
Jill Savage and Matthew Peterson of “Blaze News Tonight” are not of the mind that sending more money to Ukraine is the answer.
“President Trump has been clear the entire time what he wants to do,” Peterson says. “He wants peace, he wants to end the conflict. And I think that everything you see going on in Washington, D.C., now is indicative of the desire of the MAGA, MAHA movement to cease the money-laundering in Ukraine.”
“We’ve sent billions and billions there now, and don’t even get me started on where that money has gone,” he adds.
Want more from 'Blaze News Tonight'?
To enjoy more provocative opinions, expert analysis, and breaking stories you won’t see anywhere else, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
Senate advances border budget despite lone GOP holdout
The Senate passed Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham's budget resolution early Friday morning after an all-night voting session.
The bill passed the Senate 52-48 in a near-party-line vote. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only GOP senator to join all 47 Democrats in voting against the bill, citing fiscal concerns about the budget outline.
"If you follow the news, you've been seeing reports of Elon Musk and DOGE and getting rid of waste and fraud and abuse by the billions, if not trillions, of dollars," Paul said in a floor speech Thursday. "And yet, we are meeting here today because Congress, namely the Senate, wants to increase federal spending."
Graham's $340 billion budget outline is the first of the Senate's two-pronged approach to rolling out reconciliation. The proposal includes funds for defense and border enforcement, as the Senate aims to address tax policy later in a separate bill.
Graham admitted that the one-bill approach would be ideal but argued that his two-bill approach is a more immediate remedy to address the border crisis.
"This budget resolution is a complete game-changer when it comes to securing our border and making our military more lethal," Graham said in a statement Friday. "It will allow President Trump to fulfill the promises he made to the American people — a very big deal."
Although the Senate has held the lead in advancing the reconciliation process, President Donald Trump formally backed Louisiana Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson's "big beautiful bill" earlier in the week. Trump noted that although both chambers of Congress had made progress in implementing his MAGA agenda, he preferred a bill that addressed all his policy priorities in one fell swoop.
"The House and Senate are doing a SPECTACULAR job of working together as one unified, and unbeatable, TEAM, however, unlike the Lindsey Graham version of the very important Legislation currently being discussed, the House Resolution implements my FULL America First Agenda, EVERYTHING, not just parts of it!" Trump said.
Even with Trump's endorsement, members of the House won't be back in Washington, D.C., to vote on their reconciliation bill until next week.
Graham admitted that the one-bill approach would be ideal but argued that his two-bill approach is a more immediate remedy to address the border crisis.
"I hope the House can pass one big bill that meets President Trump’s priorities," Graham said. "But this approach provides money that we needed yesterday to continue the momentum on securing our border, enforcing our immigration laws, and rebuilding our military. Time is of the essence."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Trump gives House budget his blessing despite Senate's lead in race for reconciliation
President Donald Trump yet again endorsed the House's reconciliation bill on Wednesday after the Senate advanced its own budgetary resolution on Tuesday night.
The Senate pressed on with its two-bill budget blueprint, teeing up a potential vote for later this week. The House, on the other hand, is positioned to vote on its reconciliation bill next week when members are back in session.
'We need both Chambers to pass the House Budget to "kickstart" the Reconciliation process, and move all of our priorities to the concept of, "ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL." It will, without question, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!'
It's also worth noting that Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina introduced the Senate's proposal nearly a week before Speaker Mike Johnson finalized the House's budget.
Despite the recurring delays on the House side, Trump reiterated his support for "one big beautiful bill."
"The House and Senate are doing a SPECTACULAR job of working together as one unified, and unbeatable, TEAM, however, unlike the Lindsey Graham version of the very important Legislation currently being discussed, the House Resolution implements my FULL America First Agenda, EVERYTHING, not just parts of it!" Trump said in a Truth Social post Wednesday.
"We need both Chambers to pass the House Budget to 'kickstart' the Reconciliation process, and move all of our priorities to the concept of, 'ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL.' It will, without question, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
As Trump noted, the House bill tackles all the major policy priorities the administration is aiming to implement, including border provisions, defense spending, tax cuts, and spending cuts. Although the Senate's approach addresses the same issues, its two-bill approach splits the border and defense spending from the tax bill.
One key difference between the two proposals is that the House bill doesn't allow for a permanent extension of the Trump tax cuts from 2017, which Senate Majority Leader John Thune considers a dealbreaker.
Even still, it's clear that Trump has given Johnson's big, beautiful bill his blessing.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Senate Republicans take the lead in the race for reconciliation
Senate Republicans unveiled their proposed reconciliation budget on Friday before the House was able to come to an agreement.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) called the budget resolution the "blueprint that unlocks the pathway for a fully paid-for reconciliation bill," addressing the border, the military, energy independence, and fiscal concerns. This budget is intended to serve as a blueprint for the Senate's two-bill approach, while the House is focusing on putting forward one "big beautiful bill."
House Republicans have made their own efforts to chip away at the reconciliation process.
"To those who voted for and support real border security and a stronger defense in a troubled world, help is on the way," Graham said in a statement Friday. "This budget resolution jump-starts a process that will give President Trump's team the money they need to secure the border and deport criminals and make America strong and more energy-independent."
The bill was published just hours before Senate Republicans are set to meet with President Donald Trump for dinner at Mar-a-Lago Friday night. At the same time, House Republicans have made their own efforts to chip away at the reconciliation process.
Top House Republicans huddled in the White House on Thursday for five hours, even postponing Speaker Mike Johnson's scheduled meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The day after, Johnson told reporters that reconciliation talks were still ongoing, even blaming the delays on House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
"It may not be today, but it will be through the weekend," Johnson said. "We got a few more people we got to talk with and a couple more boxes to check. But we are almost there."
As of this writing, House Republicans have not put forward their own budget proposal.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Today's top stories
www.theblaze.com