Mike Johnson calls for Ukrainian ambassador's firing over pro-Democrat 'election interference'

By 
 September 26, 2024

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) called on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to fire his ambassador to the U.S. for interfering in the presidential election to help Democrats. 

Zelensky has been criticized for meeting with top Democrats at an arms factory in Pennsylvania, a top battleground state.

Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova organized the tour, where Zelensky met with Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro and senator Bob Casey, both Democrats. Casey is in a battle for re-election.

Johnson lashes out at Zelensky

In a letter to Zelensky, Johnson accused Markarova of meddling in America's elections to benefit Kamala Harris.

"I demand that you immediately fire Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova," he wrote.

"The facility was in a politically contested battleground state, was led by a top political surrogate for Kamala Harris, and failed to include a single Republican because – on purpose – no Republicans were invited," Johnson wrote.

Johnson called the event "clearly a partisan campaign event designed to help Democrats and is clearly election interference."

During an interview with the New Yorker, Zelensky also trashed Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, who have expressed skepticism of the U.S. commitment to Ukraine. The United States has already sent billions of dollars to support Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Zelensky meeting with Trump

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee are also investigating Zelensky's trip to the factory.

"The Committee seeks to determine whether the Biden-Harris Administration attempted to use a foreign leader to benefit Vice President Harris’ presidential campaign and, if so, necessarily committed an abuse of power," chairman James Comer (Ky.) wrote Wednesday in a letter to the White House, Justice Department and the Pentagon.

Zelensky put on a united front with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris at the White House on Thursday, where Harris used a joint appearance with Zelensky to take veiled swipes at Trump and his push for Ukraine to "surrender."

The Ukrainian leader will meet with Trump on Friday at Trump Tower, after Trump initially snubbed a meeting over Zelensky's comments questioning whether Trump can end the war in Ukraine.

"President Zelensky has asked to meet with me, and I will be meeting with him tomorrow morning at around 9:45," Trump said Thursday.

"I believe I will be able to make a deal between President Putin and President Zelensky and quite quickly," he said.

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