The chairman for the Georgia Republican Party is getting backlash from fellow Republicans after he posted tweets in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin, WBRC reports.
In his tweets, Georgia GOP Chairman David Shafer echoed accusations against the government of Ukraine of "Nazi-ism," adding that Putin invaded because he “sensed American and Western weakness.”
"I assumed this was a lie or a hoax but it is not. The Biden and Zelensky governments were the only two votes against a Russian resolution condemning the glorification of Nazism. What!?!" Shafer tweeted.
"In explaining the vote against the resolution, the United States Mission to the United Nations pointed to our Constitution and cited the 'constitutional right to freedom of speech and the rights of and association, including by avowed Nazis," he added. "This resolution gives context to Putin’s bizarre claim that the Russian invasion was motivated by anti-Nazism and leaves me thinking that Biden and Zelensky fell into a somewhat obvious trap in opposing it."
I assumed this was a lie or a hoax but it is not. The Biden and Zelensky governments were the only two votes against a Russian resolution condemning the glorification of Nazism. What!?!https://twitter.com/russiaun/status/1471589093305954310\u00a0\u2026— David Shafer (@David Shafer) 1647101931
"The US has voted against this Russia-backed resolution in the UN every time it’s come up since 2005 — including during Trump’s administration. The US position is that they’re 'thinly veiled attempts to legitimize Russian disinformation campaigns denigrating neighboring nations,'" said Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Greg Bluestein in response to Shafer's tweets.
GOP committee member Jason Shepherd called for Republicans to censure Shafer.
“He is supposed to speak for all Republicans. Obviously he is speaking for a very fringe part of the Republican party that supports Vladimir Putin,” said Shepherd. “Both Republican and Democratic administrations have voted against this resolution. He should have apologized and deleted the tweet. As of now he still hasn’t done that.”
The State Senate Majority Leader, Republican Mike Dugan, said that anybody "that defends the actions of Putin and the Russian Government and the Ukraine is, to me as lost that what Russia is doing in the Ukraine is reprehensible...There’s no way you can justify it and things going on.”
Conservative commentator Erick Erickson also slammed Shafer over his remarks: "This is the chairman of the Georgia GOP spreading Russian propaganda. If you note, European powers refused to even participate in the vote . This was Russia beginning it’s propaganda justification for the invasion of Ukraine."
