Mitch McConnell Blames Fox Host Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump for 'Demonizing' Ukraine Aid

Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell called out former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson and ex-president Donald Trump for the delayed Ukraine aid. Recently, the Republican leader celebrated the approval of $95 billion in US aid to the war-torn Ukraine after fighting tooth and nail to seek the final vote to land the required sum of money. 

However, he lamented the grueling process of securing the support from the rest of the Republicans and blasted two of his prominent critics: Trump and Carlson. During a press conference on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, McConnell more specifically targeted the ex-Fox host, accusing him of opposing the Ukraine aid for a long time, per Daily Mail. "Demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson - who in my opinion ended up where he should have been all along, interviewing Vladimir Putin," accused McConnell. "He had [an] enormous audience which convinced a lot of rank and file Republicans," he said, referring to Carlson's two-hour interview with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in February. 

Putin dominated the interview for the most part, with Carlson rambling about Russian history, the breakup of the Soviet Union, and the threat of Soviet expansion, leaving Carlson speechless, which drew widespread criticism for the host's lack of assertiveness by the Ukrainian supporters. Subsequently, Putin himself expressed dissatisfaction about the interview, saying, "To be honest, I thought that he would behave aggressively and ask so-called sharp questions. I was not just prepared for this, I wanted it, because it would give me the opportunity to respond in the same way." 

Meanwhile, Carlson repeatedly questioned the United States' willingness to send aid to Ukraine, especially after current POTUS Joe Biden and members of Congress directed more than $75 billion in assistance after the Russian invasion. It's also worth noting that the TV presenter was fired from Fox News in April 2023 and continued to advocate against helping Ukraine. 

McConnell then targeted the GOP front-runner for the upcoming 2024 elections for sinking a bipartisan Senate bill to secure the border in February: "We all felt the border was a disaster. First, there was an effort to make law which requires you to deal with Democrats. Then our nominee for President didn’t seem to want us to anything at all." Trump previously decried the bill as 'a great gift to the Democrats, and a Death Wish for The Republican Party.' He added, "Don't be STUPID!!! We need a separate Border and Immigration bill. It should not be tied to foreign aid in any way, shape, or form." 

The Senate voted 80-19 on Tuesday to advance an impending additional $61 billion for Ukraine, despite 17 Senate Republicans voting against it. The total aid of $95 billion includes countries like Israel, Taiwan, and other US allies. After the Senate passed the package, Biden said, "This critical legislation will make our nation and world more secure as we support our friends who are defending themselves against terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin," per ABC News.