Sen. Daines receives criticism after tweeting photo of Ukrainian president
MISSOULA, Mont. — Montana Senator Steve Daines and Florida Senator Marco Rubio are facing criticism after sharing photos of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media.
Earlier today, Zelenskyy met with over 300 U.S. lawmakers and staff virtually, where he continued to press for a no-fly zone in Ukraine and more sanctions for Russia, such as energy and credit card access.
Those on the call said Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer also told Zelensky that Congress would provide 10 billion dollars in economic, humanitarian, and security assistance to the Ukrainian people.
Lawmakers were reportedly told not to share any photos due to concern for the Ukrainian president's safety.
Senator Daines tweeted a photo around 8:30 a.m. this morning while the call was in progress.
We reached out to Senator Daines' spokesperson for a statement on the criticism and they told us this:
"This was a well reported call with over 250 people joining, and it was not a secure or classified briefing. The photo was shared before it was requested not to and well into the call, and it had no identifying information. We should be focusing on what’s important here and that’s supporting Ukraine. The only reason why anyone wants to make this an issue is partisan clickbait."
The tweets have not been taken down.
