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The CPAC Twitter account earned outrage after tweeting — and quickly deleting — a message referring to “Ukraine-occupied territories” and referring to President Joe Biden’s “gift-giving” to the country as it deals with an invasion from Russia.
“Vladimir Putin announces the annexation of 4 Ukrainian-occupied territories. Biden and the Dems continue to send Ukraine billions of taxpayer dollars. Meanwhile, we are under attack at our southern border. When will Democrats put #AmericaFirst and end the gift-giving to Ukraine?” the original tweet reads.
Though numerous Republicans have criticized Biden’s financial support to Ukraine, the tweet still earned plenty of backlash, mainly for referring to Ukraine land as “Ukrainian-occupied territories.”
CPAC apologized for the tweet in a statement:
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough referred to it as “unfiltered Russian propaganda.”
“Did CPAC really tweet this unfiltered Russian propaganda?” he tweeted on Saturday. “It accuses Ukraine of ‘occupying’ its own country. Reagan’s example of challenging Russian aggression is mocked
“What could be worse than @cpac and anti-America pigshit [Matt Schlapp] endorsing Putin’s attack on Ukraine and threats against the US? How about deleting the tweet with no explanation? #CPACCowards,” Keith Olbermann wrote in reaction to the tweet.
“With CPAC’s full-throated support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the GOP had firmly planted its flag in Authoritarianism,” filmmaker and liberal activist Rob Reiner added.
Some conservative commentators were also critical of the tweet.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton blasted the outrage stemming from the tweet, but did acknowledge it was “awkwardly-worded.”
Radio host Erick Erickson meanwhile tweeted he was “glad” the tweet was deleted.
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