MAGA Republicans 'admire Putin’s cruelty' and 'want him to win': economist Paul Krugman

Far-right MAGA Republicans have offered a variety of reasons for opposing military aid to Ukraine, including the United States' federal deficit. Some have said that the Biden Administration should prioritize security at the U.S./Mexico border over aide to a country that's thousands of miles away.

But liberal economist Paul Krugman, in a scathing New York Times column published on October 2, argues that the real reason is something much uglier: MAGA Republicans "admire" Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Whatever anti-Ukraine voices like Elon Musk may pretend," Krugman stresses, "it's not about the money. Right-wing hardliners, both in Congress and outside, claim to be upset about the amount we're spending supporting Ukraine. But if they really cared about the financial burden of aid, they'd make the minimal effort required to get the numbers right."

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Krugman adds, "No, aid to Ukraine isn't undermining the future of Social Security or making it impossible to secure our border or consuming 40 percent of America's GDP."

The Times columnist laments that MAGA Republicans oppose aide to Ukraine because they are "enemies of democracy, both abroad and at home."

"Whatever Republican hardliners may say, they want Putin to win," Krugman writes. "They view the Putin regime's cruelty and repression as admirable features that America should emulate. They support a wannabe dictator at home and are sympathetic to actual dictators abroad."

Krugman adds, "So, pay no attention to all those complaints about how much we're spending in Ukraine. They aren't justified by the actual cost of aid, and the people claiming to be worried about the cost don't really care about the money."

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Paul Krugman's full New York Times column is available at this link (subscription required).