Tucker Carlson compares Congress applauding Ukrainian president to clip of STALIN

Tucker Carlson has likened the warm reception Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky received from Congress to applause commonly commanded by Josef Stalin, juxtaposing clips of the two leaders during an impassioned rant Thursday.

Criticizing the House of Representatives for ‘clapping like seals’ during the speech on Wednesday, Carlson laid into both Democrats and Republicans for blindly supporting Zelensky’s call to stand up to Russian aggression.

Carlson’s spiel – which aired on his eponymous program – came after the famously conservative commentator accused Zelensky Wednesday of dressing like a ‘manager of a strip club demanding money’ – ignoring the US’ own border woes. 

The on-air tirade lasted more than 20 minutes, and saw Carlson, 53, compare the Ukrainian leader to the longtime boss of the Soviet Union, airing a clip of his last speech to Kremlin’s Congress equivalent in 1952.

The brief snippet – which was shown directly after a clip of Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, and hundreds of others frantically applauding Zelensky – showed a similar response to the Russian dictator, who put his own people in prison camps. In Stalin’s Soviet Union, failure to applaud the leader would often be considered treason.

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Tucker Carlson has likened the warm reception Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky received from Congress to applause commonly commanded by Josef Stalin, juxtaposing clips of the two leaders during an impassioned rant Thursday

Criticizing the House of Representatives for ‘clapping like seals’ during the much-seen speech Wednesday, Carlson laid into both Democrats and Republicans for supporting Zelensky’s call for increased American aid. He has already received $68 billion but wants $37.7 billion more

Before making the comparison, Carlson – who has already been hailed as a hero on Russian TV for his critiques of Zelensky, who has already received $68billion from the White House but wants $37.7 billion more – began his comparison by tearing into both parties, remarking how they clapped ‘like seals’ after hearing him leader speak.

‘But here’s the interesting thing,’ Carlson proceeded to point out. ‘Almost every person in the room clapped like a seal.’

He went on: ‘No matter what that man said – “Send me more money; I command you, send me more money! We’re taking care of it in the most responsible ways” – they applaud. All of them. Almost like they have to.’

Carlson then marveled how despite there being 435 members of Congress, ranging from the most do-nothing of Democrats to the most hawkish Republicans, no one dare to question Zelensky’s appeal for more funding.

‘Now, there are 435 members of the house of representatives – Republicans and Democrats – and [they] famously they don’t get along and they don’t agree on anything. They can’t even pass a budget, because they disagree on everything.’

‘And yet,’ Carlson continued, ‘when a foreign leader shows up in cargo pants to tell them lies and give them orders, they all applaud. That’s pretty weird behavior in a democracy if you think about it.’ 

The on-air tirade lasted more than 20 minutes, and saw Carlson, 53, compare the Ukrainian leader to the longtime boss of the Soviet Union, airing a clip of his last speech to Kremlin’s Congress equivalent in 1952 to do so.

The brief snippet – which was shown directly after a clip of Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, and hundreds of others frantically applauding Zelensky – showed a similar response to the Russian dictator, who put his own people in prison camps

The TV talker went on to sarcastically accuse the media of manufacturing such divisions themselves – before questioning the US’s own notions of being a democracy. 

‘The fractious debate we hear so much about doesn’t exist,’ Carlson remarked. ‘And, in fact, looking at the screen last night, it didn’t really look like a democracy to be honest. It looked like this.’

The broadcast would then cut to an excerpt of Stalin’s final speech before he was succeeded by Nikita Khrushchev as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. 

In Stalin’s Soviet Union, failure to applaud the leader would often be considered treason

The Soviet leader – who struck fear in the hearts of tens of millions Russians during his oppressive 29-year reign with his secret KGB police force – says in the brief clip, translated from Russian: ‘It is well known, that this is precisely what our Party does.’

At that point, members of the Supreme Soviet – the communist nation’s presiding body apart from the dictatorship – unleashed a deafening barrage of applause, a reaction that was common during the leader’s many addresses.

Carlson went on to mockingly mimic members of Congress’ applause, imitating what they may have been thinking during Zelensky’s address. 

‘Woohoo, good point, sir; we’re so pleased you’re here,’ Carlson said, feigning applause with a simple expression plastered across his face.

The comments came after the president of war-torn Ukraine finished his address to Congress, in which Carlson remarked his surprise that ‘no one threw him out’ of the event for his casual attire

The comments came just over 24 hours after the president of the war-torn nation finished his address to Congress, to which Carlson remarked his surprise that ‘no one threw him out’ of the event for his casual attire, suggesting he should have worn a suit instead.

Since Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Zelensky has made a point to continue wearing his wartime fatigues.

He has be seen almost nightly speaking from a bunker in Kyiv wearing the same style of clothing, while also wearing it to visit soldiers on the front lines to boost morale. 

Zelensky has not wavered from this, and even wore the same khaki-colored clothing when speaking to the United Nations, the G20, and during visits being made to Ukraine by other foreign dignitaries – including Presidents and Prime Ministers.

Carlson showed the Stalin speech Thursday night directly after a clip of Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, and hundreds of others frantically applauding Zelensky

This has been in stark contrast to Putin, who is often seen in his presidential palace wearing a suit, speaking only to a small circle of advisers, while making rare appearances outside his walls in public.

The attacks on Zelensky came after a pandemic-era US federal immigration policy – known as Title 42 – expired, allowing an influx of migrants into the country.

The visit also came as US politicians are set to vote on a year-end spending package that includes about $45billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine. The United States has been by far the largest donor country to Ukraine, sending $64billion for arms and equipment. Germany is the second largest, with just $2.34billion.

Carlson said: ‘The president of Ukraine arrived at the White House dressed like the manager of a strip club and demanding money and amazingly no one threw him out.’

Congress is set to decide on a purposed spending package that would see another $37billion thrown toward the eastern European Country.

Meanwhile, the US is contending with a crisis at its own border as President Joe Biden seeks end of the Trump-era mandate Title 42, sparking mass crossings from asylum seekers in Mexico.

The guidance – passed in 2020 by then President Donald Trump to quell the spread of COVID-19 – allows border officials to more easily turn away Migrants at the southern border. It is set to expire on December 27.