Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) publicly defended Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following a tense meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, where Zelensky was reportedly asked to leave after making disrespectful comments.
Schiff took to X to express his support for Zelensky, stating that the Ukrainian leader was the only person in the room who acted “presidential” during the exchange.
“There was only one person acting presidential in the Oval Office today: Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” Schiff wrote.
“He stood up to bullies in a Kremlin-style shakedown.”
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He went on to question what it would “take to awaken the conscience of the country after such a shameful display.”
There was only one person acting presidential in the Oval Office today: Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
He stood up to bullies in a Kremlin-style shakedown.
What will it take to awaken the conscience of the country after such a shameful display?
— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) February 28, 2025
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Schiff was not alone in his defense of Zelensky.
Several Democrat governors, including Kathy Hochul (D-NY), Josh Shapiro (D-PA), and Tim Walz (D-MN), also backed the Ukrainian leader following the Oval Office meeting.
Ukraine is our ally. Putin is not. It’s not complicated.
I’m proud to be governor of the state with the largest Ukrainian population in America. This president may not stand with democracy, but we will.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) February 28, 2025
Pennsylvania, I need your help defeating Governor Shapiro in 2026.
Pro-war politicians have no business governing. https://t.co/OY5RfK5aWZ
— ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) February 28, 2025
Donald Trump is embarrassing the United States on the world stage. We are a country that stands up to dictators and fights for democracy.
Minnesota stands firmly with our allies in Ukraine.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) February 28, 2025
During the meeting, President Trump informed Zelensky that Ukraine was “in big trouble” and was “not winning” the war.
“Your country is in big trouble,” Trump told Zelensky. “You’re not winning. You’re not winning this. You have a damn good chance of coming out okay because of us.”
Zelensky responded by insisting that Ukrainians were “staying strong” and that Ukraine had been “alone” in the fight.
Trump quickly countered, pointing out the massive amounts of military and financial aid the United States had provided to Ukraine.
“You haven’t been alone. We gave you, through [our] stupid president, $350 billion. We gave you military equipment,” Trump said.
“If you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would’ve been over in two weeks.”
.@POTUS: “Your country is in big trouble. You’re not winning … You have a damn good chance of coming out okay because of us.”
“You haven’t been alone. We gave you, through [our] stupid president, $350 billion. We gave you military equipment … If you didn’t have our military… pic.twitter.com/MFU600Enlt
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 28, 2025
Breitbart News’s Bradley Jaye reported that Trump and Vice President JD Vance took issue with Zelensky’s approach during the meeting, accusing him of showing a lack of gratitude and attempting to argue his case in front of the media.
“With respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media,” Vance told Zelensky.
“Right now you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”
Vance: I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s gonna end the destruction of your country.
Zelensky: Yes. But if you, Mr. President,
Vance: Mr. Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front… pic.twitter.com/dZlXTjSiDL
— Rarely Tolerable. (@RarelyTolerated) February 28, 2025
Following the meeting, the White House confirmed that Zelensky had left without signing a minerals deal that had been under discussion.
Trump later addressed the incident on Truth Social, stating that “Zelensky is not ready for Peace if America is involved” and that Zelensky “disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office.”
In an interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier after the meeting, Zelensky refused to apologize for his comments.
When asked if he regretted his words, Zelensky stated that he was “not sure” that he had done “something bad.”
The fallout from the meeting highlights the growing tensions between the Trump administration and Zelensky’s government, as well as the broader divide between U.S. lawmakers over continued support for Ukraine.
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