WASHINGTON – As Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, congressional Democrats condemned Vladimir Putin, backed President Joe Biden, and called for more economic sanctions on Putin's regime, while Republicans offered a more divided response.
"Putin’s decision to invade is an evil, panicked move of weakness and will be his defining mistake,” tweeted Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
Murphy also said "Putin has plans for us too," and the Russian strongman "will use this crisis to try to divide Americans from each other and to separate America from our allies."
He added: "In this, we must remain vigilant and united. This is not a moment for politics to trump security."
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Many Republicans criticized Putin as well, though some – including former President Donald Trump also had harsh words for Biden's handling of the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
"Putin is playing Biden like a drum. It is not a pretty thing to watch!" Trump said Wednesday, just hours before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the sovereign nation of Ukraine.
In a telephone interview Wednesday night with Fox News – with a split screen showing war in Ukraine – Trump blamed "the weakness and the incompetence and the stupidity" of the Biden administration. He also echoed his false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 elections, claiming falsely that a "rigged election" led to Russia's aggression.
Other Republicans kept the focus squarely on Putin.
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Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has clashed repeatedly over the years with Trump over Russia policy, has called for tougher economic sanctions on Putin's government.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who wants to be speaker of the House if Republicans prevail in this year's congressional elections, called Putin's invasion "reckless and evil." McCarthy did not mention Biden in his statement, and said "Putin must be held accountable for his actions.”
"As he escalates his war against Ukraine, Putin must be made to pay a far heavier price than he paid for his previous invasions of Georgia and Ukraine," McConnell said this week.
The Ukraine crisis has revived GOP and conservative divisions over what to do about Putin and Russia.
While no one is calling for American military intervention, long-time hawks like Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., have accused Putin of seeking to revive the Cold War and said the U.S. needs to confront him with economic sanctions.
Overnight, Graham said "Putin and his cronies should be pursued by international law enforcement agencies for the purpose of seizing their lavish apartments, fine art, yachts, and other material goods purchased through stealing the Russian people blind."
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Rep, Mike Johnson, R-La., said "it is clear that the Biden Administration’s appeasement approach towards Russian aggression has failed." Johnson also called for stronger sanctions, but questioned how well that might work at this point.
"Even though the best time to take these actions has passed, we must act decisively," Johnson said.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who is reportedly considering a presidential bid in 2024, called on Biden to "finally" impose hard economic sanctions on the Russian autocrat.
Democrats stood more united behind Biden in opposing Russian aggression.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., citing the large number of Ukrainian-Americans in her home state of Michigan, said "America will stand strong with all of our allies to do everything we can to protect their freedom and independence and save lives.”
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who chairs the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, noted that the Biden administration has already hit Russia with new sanctions and that more are in order.
"It is clear that despite our unified efforts with our allies and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has chosen war," Schiff said.
Calling on the U.S. to stand with Ukraine, Schiff said "this begins by moving swiftly beyond the significant sanctions already announced by the Biden administration to fully cutting off Russia’s leading financial institutions from the global economy and ending Europe’s dependence on Russian oil for good."
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