From Staff Reports

UKRANIAN President Volodymyr Zelensky recently was called a “thug” by U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-Hendersonville, in a video posted by Raleigh-based WRAL.

“The comment was first reported in an opinion article by Karl Rove that was published in The Wall Street Journal on March 9,” the Raleigh News & Observer reported on March 11. “Rove, who was a senior advisor to former President George W. Bush, said Cawthorn made the comments March 5 at a town hall meeting in Asheville. A video clip of the remarks was published by WRAL on the morning of March 10.

Cawthorn said the following in the clip:

“Remember that Zelensky is a thug. Remember the Ukranian government is incredibly corrupt and it is incredibly evil and it has been pushing ‘woke’ ideologies.”

After the comments surfaced, Cawthorn tweeted:

“Progpaganda is being used to entice America into another war. I do not want Americans dyring because emotions pushed us into a conflict.”

Further, Cawthorn added, “The actions of Putin and Russia are disgusting. But leaders, including Zelensky, should NOT push misinformation on America. I am praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. Pray also we are not drawn into conflict, based on foreign leaders pushing misinformation.”

Two of Cawthorn’s opponents in the GOP primary for the 11th Congressional District, where he is running for re-election, rapidly lashed out against his anti-Zelensky comments, including state Sen. Chuck Edwards, R-Hendersonville, and Michele Woodhouse.

Edwards tweeted, ”Let’s be clear. The 'thug' is Vladimir Putin. We must united as a nation to pray for President Zelensky and the brave people of Ukraine who are fighting for their lives and their freedom. Anything less is counter to everything we stand for in America.”

Woodhouse, who lives in the Horse Shoe community of Henderson County, told WRAL that she sees Zelensky as “a hero” — and she said the congressman’s labeling of Zelensky as a “thug” and of his government as “evil” shows Cawthorn is out-of-touch and “boorish.”