Republicans hitting their opponents for being weak on Russia is as old as the Cold War. But Russia’s assault on Ukraine and the pro-Trump right’s friendly rhetoric toward Russia means Republicans are not just attacking Democrats: they are attacking other Republicans as weak on Russia.
In Ohio’s Senate race to replace retiring Republican Sen Rob Portman has become a focal point. Republican candidate JD Vance said: “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another” and added that “I’m sick of Joe Biden focusing on the border of a country I don’t care about while he lets the border of his own country become a total war zone.”
