Pro-Ukraine Republicans finding ways to push back on GOP isolationists

Republican Rep. Michael McCaul called out members of his party behind closed doors this week for parroting Russian disinformation and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s talking points, a source in the room told CNN.

Republican Rep. Michael McCaul called out members of his party behind closed doors this week for parroting Russian disinformation and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s talking points, a source in the room told CNN. McCaul, a former House Foreign Affairs chairman from Texas and staunch supporter of Ukraine, acknowledged during the private event Tuesday with NATO ambassadors and defense ministers that his strong stance that the US should play an active US role in deterring Russian aggression in Ukraine makes him a dying breed in the Republican Party, the source added. McCaul’s office declined to comment on the private remarks. McCaul has previously warned about Russian propaganda infecting “a good chunk” of his party’s base. The shift in the party away from former GOP President Ronald Reagan’s “peace through strength” has created a tightrope of sorts for many Republicans looking to balance their support for Ukraine with the more isolationist view embraced by President Donald Trump. While Republicans in Congress have been split on continuing aid to Ukraine amid its three-year war with Russia, a number in the party continue to publicly advocate for the war-torn country. This week, GOP Rep. Don Bacon echoed concerns that loud voices in his party embracing an isolationist approach are hurting US foreign relations and potentially undercutting the party’s success in the process.