Ret. Col. Douglas MacGregor spread absolutely mind-boggling nonsense about Ukraine during a recent appearance on Fox, claiming that the “Russians have very carefully avoided interrupting any power. No damage to communications, no damage to any of the things that are essential like the water supply” — which is not true. In the city of Mariupol, for instance, which has been characterized as “surrounded” by Russian troops, hundreds of thousands of residents have lost access to key utilities amid Russian attacks on the area — attacks that have now forced the cancellations of two attempts to evacuate residents. “Médecins Sans Frontières said medicines had run out, with locals drinking snow and rainwater,” according to The Guardian, describing the situation in Mariupol on Saturday.
MacGregor added that across the “first five days Russian forces, I think, frankly, were too gentle. They’ve now corrected that. So I would say another ten days this should be completely over. But the question is, what is it that Zelenskyy is going to do.” This man’s nearly clinical detachment from the reported deaths of thousands of Ukrainian civilians at the hands of Putin’s army is profoundly disturbing — and he was both nominated by then-President Trump to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Germany and, after that failed, brought on as a senior adviser to the head of the Defense Department while Trump was in power. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) commented as follows:
‘Douglas MacGregor, nominated by Trump as ambassador to Germany; appointed by Trump as [senior] advisor to the Secretary of Defense, says Russian forces have been “too gentle” and “I don’t see anything heroic” about Zelensky. This is the Putin wing of the GOP.’
Douglas MacGregor, nominated by Trump as ambassador to Germany; appointed by Trump as sr advisor to the Secretary of Defense, says Russian forces have been “too gentle” and “I don’t see anything heroic” about Zelensky.
This is the Putin wing of the GOP.
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) March 5, 2022
Cheney has vocally criticized the so-called Putin wing of the Republican Party in the past. After former President Trump himself characterized Putin as “genius” in an interview regarding Russian authorities’ recognition of two independent countries on Ukrainian territory and announcement of troop deployment plans for the regions, Cheney commented that “Former President Trump’s adulation of Putin today – including calling him a “genius” – aids our enemies. Trump’s interests don’t seem to align with the interests of the United States of America.” Trump stood by his “genius” rhetoric even after the situation devolved into a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces; at the latest installment of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), he said that the “problem is not that Putin is smart, which, of course, he’s smart… The problem is that our leaders are dumb… and so far, allowed him to get away with this travesty and assault on humanity.” Under no circumstance does anyone somehow have to hand it to Putin for being behind these horrors unfolding in Ukraine.
Americans outraged by Putin's butchery may not have fully absorbed a disturbing reality:
as Russia menaced Ukraine throughout his presidency, Donald Trump sided with the butcher
my @CNN analysis
https://t.co/HchKLTqfQe— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) March 6, 2022
