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Illinois Democrats call Trump a "national disgrace" after blowup with Zelenskyy

Top Illinois Democrats angrily criticized President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Friday for their shouting match with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, calling the incident "embarrassing and dangerous" and a "national disgrace."

Zelenskyy's meeting at the White House, intended to be a discussion about ending the war in Ukraine, was cut short after it descended into insults and chaos, as Mr. Trump threatened Zelenskyy to make a deal with Russia or "we're out," and Vance accused the Ukrainian leader of being "disrespectful."

The meeting ended with Zelenskyy essentially being shown the door, and the signing of a minerals agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine cancelled.

After the meeting, top Illinois Democrats pledged their continued support for Ukraine, and excoriated Mr. Trump and Vance for their treatment of Zelenskyy.

"President Trump's simpering fealty to Vladimir Putin and Russia is embarrassing and dangerous. Illinois stands with Ukraine, and so should the White House," Gov. JB Pritzker wrote in a post on X.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, slammed the president for having blamed Ukraine for Russia's invasion, saying "We cannot let President Trump rewrite history or upend proven partnerships with decades of bipartisan support."

"With 46,000 Ukrainians fallen in battle against the real invader, Vladimir Putin, the Unites States should be thanking President Zelenskyy for Ukraine's heroic stand on the frontlines of democracy against the Russian war criminal," Durbin said in a statement.

Durbin also criticized Mr. Trump after the U.S. split with its European allies by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in votes on three United Nations resolutions earlier this week.

"Former President Ronald Reagan and the late Senator John McCain are rolling over in their graves at the thought of an American president sullying America's image by siding at the UN with dictators in Russia, North Korea, Belarus, and Nicaragua while disrespecting a true American ally—Ukraine," he said.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) also took to X to criticize Mr. Trump, accusing him of "Attacking our democratic partner in service of an autocratic dictator," and calling the president "a national disgrace."

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL), who co-chairs the Congressional Ukraine Caucus and sits on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, called Mr. Trump's and Vance's behavior "shameful." 

"What just happened in the Oval Office was one of the most embarrassing moments in American history. We are a fundamentally different country than we were a few weeks ago and unrecognizable to our democratic allies. For over a century, the United States has stood for Democracy. Today, Donald Trump chose the side of dictators. The world order that was established after the Second World War is dead," Quigley said.

After the meeting, high level Trump administration sources confirmed to CBS that there have been discussions about whether the U.S. will keep sending military aid to Ukraine after the Oval Office clash between Mr. Trump and Zelenskyy.

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