House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner accused his GOP colleagues on Sunday of succumbing to Russian propaganda on the war against Ukraine.
The Ohio Republican echoed the position of House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, who recently said that “Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and it’s infected a good chunk of my party’s base.”
“It’s absolutely true,” Mr. Turner said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “We see directly coming from Russia attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor.”
His remarks come as more aid for Ukraine has languished in Congress due to resistance from House Republicans after being passed in the Senate.
House Speaker Mike Johnson says there will be a vote on some form of additional military aid once Congress returns from Easter recess next week.
“There are members of Congress today who still incorrectly say that this conflict between Russia and Ukraine is over NATO, which of course it is not,” Mr. Turner said. “Vladimir Putin having made it very clear, both publicly and to his own population, that his view is that this is a conflict of a much broader claim of Russia, to eastern Europe, and including claiming all of Ukraine territory as Russia’s.”