MSNBC Guest Says Ukrainians Have Shown They’re ‘More American Than We Are’

Independent Veterans of America CEO and Iraq War veteran Paul Rieckhoff told MSNBC to kick off the weekend he saw Ukrainians in many ways as more American than the American people.

Rieckhoff joined Friday’s The 11th Hour with host Stephanie Ruhle. He said President Donald Trump’s negotiating tactics to end the war in Europe had betrated Ukraine and, by proxy, American values.

Ruhle noted a Friday bombing of Ukraine by Russian forces had created casualties and asked her guest how he felt the attack related to Trump’s decision to freeze Ukraine out on information and miltary aid.

“Paul, this was the first large-scale attack assault on Ukraine since we pulled military aid and intelligence,” she said. “What does that tell you? It seems like Russia feels pretty emboldened.”

Rieckhoff blasted Trump as having “betrayed” Ukraine:

And every week, he needs to twist it and drive it deeper. With a new move that cuts more of their legs out from under them, that kills more civilians, that puts them more in jeopardy, that weakens NATO and helps Russia. They also are shutting off their satellite access. That happened today, too. So every Friday, there’s a new way that they’re screwing and hurting the Ukrainians. It’s a national disgrace.

And I think what we have to say, and I’m going to say it every time on the air, is Donald Trump does not speak for most Americans. JD Vance does not speak for most Americans. Marco Rubio does not speak for most Americans. The world needs to know that most Americans respect and support Ukraine and understand that our president is betraying them and helping Russia.

Ruhle then asked Rieckhoff how he would address Americans who feel that Ukraine is not on their list of priorities.

“What do you say to them?” she asked. Rieckhoff replied:

Where did you grow up? Did you grow up in a place where you thought the Russians were the good guys? What part of America did you grow up in where they taught you the Russians were the good guys, and our allies were the bad guys? That’s the flip here that we need to continue to remind people. The Russians are the bad guys. They’re raping women. They’re killing children. They’re bombing cities.

The Ukrainians are the noble good guys. In some ways, they’re more American than we are. Over the last couple of years, and we must stand with them in the same way we stood with the Allies in World War II. And since this country was founded. This is not just about Ukraine. This is about the core and the integrity of American values. And that’s what he’s also betraying, not just Ukraine. He’s betraying American values.

Watch above via MSNBC.