Former GOP candidate and economist torched on Twitter after frivolous criticism of Ukrainian President

An economist who was previously a Republican Senate candidate in Connecticut is facing criticism for his frivolous remarks about Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian President's recent appeal to members of the U.S. Congress.

On Wednesday, March 16, Peter Schiff, currently the chief economist at Euro Pacific Capital, took to Twitter to share his reaction to Zelensky's virtual address to Congress. Instead of focusing on the president's speech, Schiff opted to criticize him for his attire. Despite facing deadly circumstances, Schiff argued that the Ukrainian president should have worn a suit as he suggested that his attire was disrespectful to the United States.

"I understand times are hard, but doesn't the President of the #Ukraine own a suit? I don't have much respect for current members of the U.S. Congress either, but I still wouldn't address them wearing a t-shirt. I wouldn't want to disrespect the institution or the Unites States."

Schiff's tweets were immediately met with backlash from Twitter users who criticized him for failing to see the bigger picture. "This tweet by Peter Schiff must be one of the dumbest tweets I've ever seen on Twitter," one user tweeted as he added, "And I even followed Donald Trump's tweets when he still had an account."

"The president of Ukraine is a freedom fighter," tweeted New York Times best-selling author, Mike Lupica. "You're somebody who would throw his back out reaching for a twenty-dollar bill somebody dropped."

Despite the onslaught of critical tweets, Schiff doubled down on his remarks. He tweeted, "He did not just come off the battlefield. He had time to apply makeup for the camera. His hair was combed. Not a strand was out of place, and he had a clean shave and a trimmed beard. So he could have worn something less informal than a t-shirt. That's all I suggested."

However, one Twitter user pointed out a specific flaw in Schiff's tweet which forced him to offer clarity on what he meant. He added, "Yes, but had he worn a jacket with an open collar I likely wouldn't have said anything. A suit was my suggestion which is generally typical attire for a head of state address Congress."