GOP governors rush to Trump's defense after ‘jarring’ spat with Zelensky

Red state governors were quick to throw their support behind President Trump following a tense back-and-forth with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office Friday afternoon, citing Trump's dedication to protecting Americans.

"The disrespect shown by Zelenskyy to @POTUS was jarring — especially given how much support the US has provided," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who ran an unsuccessful presidential bid against Trump in the last election, wrote on social platform X following the testy forum.

"President Trump was right to set the record straight and to defend the USA," he added.

DeSantis's words echo those of Vice President Vance, who brought up a similar point during the White House meeting with Zelensky. When Vance suggested Trump was using diplomacy to bring an end to the war with Russia, the Ukrainian leader laid out what he called years of Russian President Vladimir Putin violently taking over his territory, breaking ceasefires and refusing to exchange prisoners.

In response, the president and vice president accused Zelensky of being "disrespectful" and argued that he had "no cards" when it comes to peace talks without the U.S. The fiery exchange ended up with Zelensky being asked to leave the White House and a joint press conference being canceled.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, following the clash, said Trump is "the only leader capable of brokering a deal."

"President Trump is right to stand up for American interests and not fund an endless war," Sanders posted online. "Zelenskyy and Putin need to both get serious about peace."

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) commended Trump and Vance for "showing the world what strong, accountable, America First leadership looks like."

"The American people want peace in the Ukraine-Russia war that has cost our country hundreds of billions of dollars and vast military resources — President Trump is standing up for them," he wrote on X.

Others echoed the sentiment, showing their support for a president willing to stand up to global leaders.

"Americans voted for President Donald Trump because he puts America first. That’s exactly what he did today," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) posted after the meeting Friday. "President Trump is the strong leader we need standing up for Americans and the nation."

"For the last four years, America has looked weak on the global stage," Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) wrote on X. "Today, Trump showed that he will fight for the best interests of Americans."

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) also weighed in, writing, "Wow, it’s refreshing to have a President back in the People’s House that actually represents America First. Thank you @realDonaldTrump for your unwavering leadership!"

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) shared a similar idea in his social media post, while thanking Trump and Vance for their leadership.

"We finally have a President and Vice President that stand up for America," he wrote on X.

Later Friday, the Ukrainian leader joined Fox News's Bret Baier to divulge on what happened. Zelensky refused to apologize.

On Saturday, he sang a different tune in a lengthy X thread, willing the U.S. to understand his plight and agree to continue working together and pressing for the expected mineral deal to move forward.

"We want peace. That’s why I came to the United States, and visited President Trump. The deal on minerals is just a first step toward security guarantees and getting closer to peace,” the Ukrainian leader wrote online. “Our situation is tough, but we can’t just stop fighting and not having guarantees that Putin will not return tomorrow.”

“We are ready to sign the minerals agreement, and it will be the first step toward security guarantees. But it’s not enough, and we need more than just that,” he continued in another post, adding that the Ukrainian people "need to know that America is on our side."

Trump following the spat suggested Zelensky was not ready for peace and claimed he "overplayed his hand."

It is unclear where the fate of the mineral deal stands.

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