say what?

Rand Paul said something shocking about Ukraine and he might want to stay off Twitter today

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Senator Rand Paul is being widely condemned for remarks he made Tuesday during a Senate hearing with Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The comments have been blasted as “propaganda” for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Emphasizing his opposition to Ukraine becoming part of NATO, Paul argued that U.S. soldiers would be “fighting in Ukraine” if the country joined. He called the scenario “something I very much oppose.”

“If you look at the countries that Russia has attacked,” Blinken told Paul, “over the last years: Georgia…Moldova, and then repeatedly in Ukraine, these are countries that were not part of NATO. It has not attacked NATO countries for probably very good reasons.”

That led to this stunning response from Paul: “You could also argue that the countries they’ve attacked were part of Russia.”

After a pause, Paul added, “…or were part of the Soviet Union.”

“I firmly disagree with that proposition,” Blinken said. “It is the fundamental right of these countries to decide their own future.”

Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker, who is running to win the Democratic nomination for Paul’s Senate seat, tweeted: “Rand Paul just attempted to justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He is actively pushing Putin’s propaganda in the Senate, and I will remove him from office in November.”

And that was one of the more tame reactions.

Here’s what other folks are saying: