- Marjorie Taylor Greene said she agrees that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a "thug."
- Top Republican leaders rebuked Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn for making the same comment.
- Their statements come as far-right Republicans echo some of Russia's defenses about the war.
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said on Tuesday night that she agreed with fellow Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn's highly criticized comment that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a "thug."
"Do you agree with Madison Cawthorn that Zelenskyy is corrupt and that the Ukrainian government is corrupt? Yes and yes. That's an easy one," Greene said during a town hall in Paulding County.
Her comments were first reported by Politico. Greene's latest statement mirrors her criticism of Zelenskyy and broader US support for Ukraine after Russia's large-scale invasion. Many of her statements have echoed the Kremlin's talking points that have defended the war.
Earlier on Tuesday, Greene expressed fear that nearly $14 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine could fall "into the hands of Nazis, which echoes talking points from Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Experts and historians have repeatedly pointed out that Zelenskyy's government and Ukraine generally are not dominated by Nazis.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other top Republican leaders rebuked Cawthorn for calling Zelenskyy a "thug." The North Carolina Republican's office later said that Cawthorn did not mean to imply that he did not support Ukraine. Their statements come as far-right Republicans echo some of Russia's defenses about the war.
A spokesperson for Greene's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.