Liz Cheney Accuses Trump, Vance, and Musk of Aiding Kremlin, Fundraises Off Contentious Oval Office Meeting
Former Representative Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, is leveraging the fallout from a highly charged Oval Office meeting that took place last week, a meeting that has reportedly left European allies and others in the United States deeply unsettled and frustrated. Cheney’s organization, Our Great Task, has sent out fundraising emails to its donor base, alleging that former President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Department of Government Efficiency leader Elon Musk are effectively "tools of the Kremlin."
The email pulls no punches, directly accusing Trump of aligning the United States with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a time when Russia continues its ongoing military aggression against Ukraine. The message states, "Too many leaders in Washington are afraid to speak the truth, afraid to stand up for the fundamental values and institutions that safeguard our Republic. And now, Donald Trump is attempting to put America on Putin’s side as he continues his brutal assault on Ukraine."
Cheney’s email continues with a strident defense of American leadership and the NATO alliance: "Here’s some truth: Putin invaded Ukraine. NATO is the most successful military alliance in history. Since 1945, American leadership has ensured freedom and security for ourselves and millions of others around the world. Together with our allies, we defeated the Soviet Union — an evil empire that had to build gulags and walls to keep its own people in."
The email directly refers to Trump’s alleged stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict: "TRUMP SAYS ZELENSKYY CAN COME BACK WHEN HE’S READY FOR PEACE AFTER FIERY WHITE HOUSE EXCHANGES."
Cheney accuses Trump of employing appeasement tactics toward Putin. "Donald Trump, JD Vance and Elon Musk have made clear who they are. Only naive fools—or tools of the Kremlin—would abandon NATO, side with Russia, and demand Ukraine surrender in the face of Putin’s brutal aggression," she wrote.
The email calls for action: "We all have an obligation at this moment to be the guardrails of democracy, to speak truth to power to defend the rule of law, American freedom, and the Constitution itself." The appeal culminates in a fundraising request: "Please join me today — donate now to help elect leaders of courage and honor, to show that the determination of those who love freedom is greater than the dedication of those who would destroy it."
The fundraising appeal comes in the wake of reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was essentially "kicked out" of the White House after a highly contentious meeting where he and U.S. leaders engaged in verbal sparring in front of journalists. Zelenskyy had come to Washington with the expectation of finalizing a deal granting the U.S. access to profits from Ukraine’s rare earth mineral deposits.
Instead, the meeting reportedly deteriorated into a shouting match, with Zelenskyy and Vance talking over each other. Trump is said to have accused Zelenskyy of "toying with World War III." The Ukrainian leader apparently sought more concrete security guarantees than those offered in the proposed deal, a point of contention criticized by Trump administration officials.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, speaking on "Sunday Morning Futures," described Zelenskyy’s demands as "ridiculous" and "not reasonable." As of Monday afternoon, a resolution to the disagreement remained elusive. The meeting appears to have further fractured the already shrinking bloc of Republicans who advocate for continued aid to Ukraine.
Representative Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, drew a historical parallel, comparing Trump and Vance to Democrats of the late 20th century who favored appeasement of the Soviet Union. Bacon asserted that the U.S. is now "on the wrong side" of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Other Republicans, like Representatives Mike Lawler of New York and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, expressed concern that Russia had emerged as the winner in the dispute but refrained from directly blaming Trump.
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, known both as a close ally of Trump and a supporter of Ukraine, praised the president’s handling of the situation and called on Zelenskyy to relinquish leadership.
The White House declined to comment directly on Cheney’s email. When Fox News Digital sought a response, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly simply replied, "Who?"
Cheney’s strong condemnation and fundraising efforts highlight the deep divisions within the Republican Party regarding U.S. foreign policy towards Ukraine and Russia. Her accusations that Trump, Vance, and Musk are sympathetic to the Kremlin represent a significant escalation of rhetoric. The incident underscores the complexities and tensions surrounding the ongoing conflict and the role of the United States in global affairs. The fundraising success of Cheney’s effort will likely become a metric of gauging hawkish sentiment within the Republican donor class.
