Former GOP Rep. Will Hurd Criticizes Biden Administration’s Handling of Russian Mutiny
Former Texas Republican Rep. Will Hurd, who is running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, on Sunday voiced disappointment with how the Biden administration handled the weekend mutiny in Russia.
Hurd Calls Out White House’s Response
Hurd said the only words coming out of the White House were: “We’re actively monitoring” the situation.
“There’s another word for that — that’s wringing your hands and doing nothing,” Hurd told ABC’s “This Week.”
Missed Opportunity
Hurd added that the U.S. missed an opportunity to take advantage of the chaos surrounding Russia and its Wagner Group of mercenaries.
“We had intelligence reports that suggests that this was going forward,” Hurd said. “We should have been planning with our allies. We should have been planning with the Ukrainians on how to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Intelligence Reports and Biden’s Phone Call with Ukrainian Leader
U.S. spy agencies notified the White House after learning in mid-June that Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was planning an armed rebellion against Russia’s defense establishment, The Washington Post reported.
President Joe Biden spoke to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy Sunday.
“They discussed Ukraine’s ongoing counter-offensive, and President Biden reaffirmed unwavering U.S. support, including through continued security, economic, and humanitarian aid,” the White House said in a statement. “The leaders also discussed recent events in Russia.”
Blinken’s Comments on the Mutiny
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also weighed in on the mutiny, calling it “extraordinary.”
“I think you have seen cracks emerge that weren’t there before: first in having Prigozhin raise front and center — questioning the very premises of the Russian aggression against Ukraine to begin with — the argument that somehow Ukraine or NATO posed a threat to Russia, and a direct challenge to Putin himself,” Blinken told CNN.
2024 Rivals and Support for Allies
During the interview, Hurd also targeted his 2024 rivals, former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, over their stance on the Ukraine war, which he described as “wrong.”
“I wish they would stop fighting with American companies like Disney and be more interested in supporting our allies against attacks, against democracy,” Hurd said in a subtle dig at DeSantis’ ongoing legal fight with the entertainment giant.
