Far-right Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., refused to be screened by Capitol security before scrolling through their phones during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech to Congress on Wednesday, according to The Independent.
Two Capitol Police officers stopped the pair and informed them they needed to go through a metal detector before entering the chamber, according to the report. Gaetz was heard "briefly questioning the officer's direction, before turning away."
"Mr. Gaetz? Mr. Gaetz?!" an officer said as Gaetz and Boebert decided to "blow through" the screening and enter the chamber anyway, according to the report.
All members of the House are required to go through security screenings and security was "heightened" ahead of the Ukrainian leader's first overseas speech since the war began, according to The Daily Beast. Metal detectors were installed after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Multiple Republicans have been fined for refusing to submit to screenings, including Reps. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, and Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.
Boebert and Gaetz, who oppose additional aid to Ukraine and called to investigate aid that was already allocated, were later seen sitting and checking their phones during a standing ovation for the Ukrainian leader.
Boebert doesn’t seem too interested in the speech pic.twitter.com/grOEaxwtZd
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 22, 2022
The pair repeatedly sat through other parts of Zelenskyy's speech that drew standing ovations.
Another clip of Boebert and Gaetz pic.twitter.com/ZiylkdaFX4
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 22, 2022
Though Boebert and Gaetz were repeatedly captured by the cameras, other Republicans declined to stand for the Ukrainian leader, including Clyde, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn.; Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio; and Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, according to Axios' Andrew Solender, though they applauded parts of his speech. Other far-right lawmakers who oppose additional aid to Ukraine, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., did not even attend the speech.
Some colleagues publicly called out Boebert and Gaetz for sitting through the speech.
"I couldn't imagine looking at myself in the mirror" if I was Gaetz or Boebert, tweeted Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill. "Smugly sat on their hands while history was made and a real hero addressed us. Imagine caring more about performance art than actual human lives."
"Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz stand with Putin; most of America stands with Zelensky and the people of Ukraine," tweeted Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y. "The contrast between the far right and most of America has never been more glaring."
Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called Boebert and Gaetz an "embarrassment."
"Have some respect for the man who stands in front of you and get off your phones," she tweeted.
Gaetz after the speech appeared to mock Zelenskyy for wearing combat gear, which he has worn since Russia invaded his country in February.
Asked by Solender if there was anything compelling in the speech, Gaetz replied, "I loved the fashion choices."
Gaetz, asked if Zelensky’s speech swayed him at all on Ukraine aid: “It did not.”
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) December 22, 2022
“I attended out of respect, not agreement.”
Asked if there was anything compelling in the speech: “I loved the fashion choices.”
Gaetz said in a statement that Zelenskyy "did not change my stance on suspending aid for Ukraine and investigating fraud in transfers already made."
"President Zelenskyy should be commended for putting his country first, but American politicians who indulge his requests are unwilling to do the same for ours," he said. "Hemorrhaging billions of taxpayer dollars for Ukraine while our country is in crisis is the definition of America last."
Boebert posted a video to Twitter saying that she did not hear a "clear explanation of where the first $50 billion we sent to support their efforts went." She added that she would oppose any additional aid unless there is an audit of the existing aid.
My response to President Zelenskyy’s address to Congress 👇 pic.twitter.com/vTrAeys4ka
— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) December 22, 2022
Zelenskyy's speech came ahead of a Senate vote on a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill to avert a government shutdown, which includes $45 billion in emergency aid for Ukraine.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who said he pushed for more aid in negotiations, called providing aid to Ukraine to defeat the Russians "the number one priority of the United States rights now according to most Republicans."
McConnell: "Providing assistance for Ukrainians to defeat the Russians is the number one priority for the United States right now according to most Republicans. That's how we see the challenges confronting the country at the moment." pic.twitter.com/NPmzWRzoz1
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 20, 2022
President Joe Biden, who met with Zelenskyy at the White House earlier in the day, lamented Russia's increased attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, which have knocked out power and gas to millions.
"Russia is using winter as a weapon: freezing people, starving people, cutting them off from one another," Biden said. "It's the latest example of the outrageous atrocities the Russian forces are committing against innocent Ukrainian civilians."
Zelenskyy during his address pleaded for more assistance for his country.
"We have artillery, yes, thank you. Is it enough? Not really," Zelenskyy said, adding that the aid is not a gift. "Your money is not charity," he said. "It's an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way."
