Did Russia Invade Ukraine? Is Putin A Dictator? We Asked Every Republican Member Of Congress

In just three weeks, President Donald Trump has exploded long-standing U.S. foreign policy and sided with Russia against Ukraine and the rest of NATO. He sent American diplomats to open negotiations with Russian counterparts—without inviting Kyiv to participate. He falsely blamed Ukraine for starting the war with Russia, and echoed the Kremlin line by calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator.” Then, in a press conference on Monday, Trump declined to say the same of Vladimir Putin. “I don’t use those words lightly,” he told a reporter.

Most Republicans strongly condemned Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and have voted on multiple occasions to send the country military aid. But with their party’s leader back in the White House, many of them have grown quiet. Are any GOP lawmakers willing to say, in plain terms, what is true?

I reached out to all 271 Republican members of the House and Senate to find out, asking each of them two straightforward questions: Did Russia invade Ukraine? And is Putin a dictator? So far, I have received 19 responses.

Some members were unambiguous: “Yes and yes,” a spokesperson for Senator Susan Collins of Maine replied in an email. “Vladimir is undisputedly an enemy of America and a dictator,” read part of the statement from the office of Representative Jeff Hurd of Colorado.

Others chose to send excerpts of previous non-answer statements or links to past TV interviews rather than answer either “yes” or “no.” A spokesperson for the GOP’s House leader, Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, replied only with a readout of Johnson’s praise for Trump’s dealmaking prowess. A spokesperson for Senator Ted Cruz of Texas replied with a link to an interaction with ChatGPT in which the chatbot noted that Cruz had in 2022 acknowledged Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and did in 2020 call Putin a dictator. (Still, no straightforward “yes” from Cruz today.)

The House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Representative Brian Mast of Florida, opted to stake out a position that seemed different from Trump’s: The panel posted a screenshot of our questions on X, with the caption: “ON THE RECORD: Russia invaded Ukraine & Putin is a dictator. But that doesn’t mean our European allies shouldn’t match Russian military spending & recruitment.” (Another post referred to our questions as “BS.”) The Atlantic followed up to ask whether this statement represented Mast’s personal view, but received no further response.

Others refused to answer entirely: “Does the Atlantic believe we’re here to answer gotcha questions to advance narrow opinion journalism?” Jonathan Wilcox, communications director for Representative Darrell Issa of California, said in an email.

In fact, it is clearly in the public interest to know how elected officials, particularly those who make decisions about national security, regard foreign powers that have long positioned themselves against the United States. And it is also clearly in the public interest for citizens to know if their representatives’ views have shifted on who is—or is not—a foreign adversary.

What follows is the full list of responses from every Republican member of Congress. It will be regularly updated with any additional responses.

Lawmakers Who Answered the Questions

Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska: A spokesperson pointed to a statement on X from Bacon on February 19, in which he said: “Putin started this war. Putin committed war crimes. Putin is the dictator who murdered his opponents. The EU nations have contributed more to Ukraine. Zelensky polls over 50%. Ukraine wants to be part of the West, Putin hates the West. I don’t accept George Orwell’s doublethink.”

Representative Michael Baumgartner of Washington: “The Congressman expressed all his thoughts on the Russia-Ukraine War to the Spokane-Review on February 19. He was very clear that Russia and Vladimir Putin were the aggressors of the war in Ukraine,” a spokesman said, adding this link.

Senator Susan Collins of Maine: “As Senator Collins has said multiple times, yes and yes,” a spokesperson said.

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas: A spokesperson shared this link, pointing to earlier statements the senator had made about Putin and the Ukraine war.

Senator John Curtis of Utah: A spokesperson pointed to Curtis’s bipartisan resolution supporting Ukraine and a February 25 interview on KSL NewsRadio, in which Curtis said, “Ukraine was invaded by a dictator.”

Representative Julie Fedorchak of North Dakota: “Yes, Vladimir Putin and Russia invaded Ukraine and yes, he is a dictator,” the representative told me. “This war has cost countless lives and destabilized the world. I believe President Trump has the strength and leadership to bring peace and restore stability in a way that puts America’s interests first.”

Representative Jeff Hurd of Colorado: “Did Russia invade Ukraine? Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was an unprovoked act of war. Russian President Vladimir Putin is a dictator? Vladimir is undisputedly an enemy of America and a dictator. It is dishonorable and wrong not to stand up against the tyranny of Putin,” a spokesperson said.

Representative Young Kim of California: “Yes to both,” a spokesperson said.

Representative Brian Mast of Florida: A spokesperson for Mast sent a link to a post on X from the House Foreign Affairs Committee calling The Atlantic’s inquiry “BS” and declaring it would cancel its subscription to our magazine. “ON THE RECORD: Russia invaded Ukraine & Putin is a dictator. But that doesn’t mean our European allies shouldn’t match Russian military spending & recruitment. Europe must realize that for our alliance to be the strongest in history, America needs a Europe that can hold its own.”

Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska: A spokesperson sent a link to a statement in which the senator said that Russia launched an “unprovoked war on Ukraine.” The spokesperson added: “And yes, she does believe that Vladimir Putin is a dictator.”

Representative Austin Scott of Georgia: “Russia invaded Ukraine and is the aggressor in this war,” the representative told me. “Putin is a dictator who has invaded Ukraine multiple times—this war would end today if he would pull his troops back into Russia.”

Senator Todd Young of Indiana: “Yes and yes,” a spokesperson said.

Lawmakers Who Responded but Did Not Directly Answer the Questions

Representative Dan Crenshaw of Texas: A spokesman provided a link to an interview with Piers Morgan in which Crenshaw cautioned against returning to a pre–World War II order allowing “dictators to conquer other countries and take their stuff.”

Representative Warren Davidson of Ohio: A spokesperson said the representative declined to comment.

Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa: “Like all Americans, Ernst wants to see an end to Putin’s unjust war that has cost far too many lives,” a spokesperson said

Representative French Hill of Arkansas: A spokesperson did not address the question of whether Putin is a dictator, but sent a link to an Arkansas PBS interview in which the representative said, “This war was started by Vladimir Putin,” and that “Ukraine has to be at the table” for any peace deal

Representative Darrell Issa of California: A spokesperson said, “Does the Atlantic believe we’re here to answer gotcha questions to advance narrow opinion journalism?”

Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana: A spokesperson sent over Johnson’s recent comments during this week’s GOP leadership press conference about Trump’s dealmaking skills and his desire for peace in Ukraine, but did not answer either question directly.

Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama: A spokesperson did not answer directly but sent a link to an interview with Newsmax, in which the senator said, “President Trump is not a Putin apologist. He just wants to get the war over with.”

Senate Republicans Who Have Not Responded

Jim Banks of Indiana
John Barrasso of Wyoming
Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee
John Boozman of Arkansas
Katie Britt of Alabama
Ted Budd of North Carolina
Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
John Cornyn of Texas
Tom Cotton of Arkansas
Kevin Cramer of North Dakota
Mike Crapo of Idaho
Steve Daines of Montana
Deb Fischer of Nebraska
Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
Charles Grassley of Iowa
Bill Hagerty of Tennessee
Josh Hawley of Missouri
John Hoeven of North Dakota
Jon Husted of Ohio
Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi
Ron Johnson of Wisconsin
Jim Justice of West Virginia
John Neely Kennedy of Louisiana
James Lankford of Oklahoma
Mike Lee of Utah
Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming
Roger Marshall of Kansas
Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania
Ashley Moody of Florida
Jerry Moran of Kansas
Bernie Moreno of Ohio
Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma
Rand Paul of Kentucky
Pete Ricketts of Nebraska
James Risch of Idaho
Mike Rounds of South Dakota
Eric Schmitt of Missouri
Rick Scott of Florida
Tim Scott of South Carolina
Tim Sheehy of Montana
Dan Sullivan of Alaska
John Thune of South Dakota
Thom Tillis of North Carolina
Roger Wicker of Mississippi

House Republicans Who Have Not Responded

Robert Aderholt of Alabama
Mark Alford of Missouri
Rick Allen of Georgia
Mark Amodei of Nevada
Jodey Arrington of Texas
Brian Babin of Texas
James Baird of Indiana
Troy Balderson of Ohio
Andy Barr of Kentucky
Tom Barrett of Michigan
Aaron Bean of Florida
Nick Begich of Alaska
Cliff Bentz of Oregon
Jack Bergman of Michigan
Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma
Andy Biggs of Arizona
Sheri Biggs of South Carolina
Gus Bilirakis of Florida
Lauren Boebert of Colorado
Mike Bost of Illinois
Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma
Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania
Vern Buchanan of Florida
Tim Burchett of Tennessee
Eric Burlison of Missouri
Ken Calvert of California
Kat Cammack of Florida
Mike Carey of Ohio
John Carter of Texas
Earl Carter of Georgia
Juan Ciscomani of Arizona
Ben Cline of Virginia
Michael Cloud of Texas
Andrew Clyde of Georgia
Tom Cole of Oklahoma
Mike Collins of Georgia
James Comer of Kentucky
Eli Crane of Arizona
Jeff Crank of Colorado
Eric Crawford of Arkansas
Monica De La Cruz of Texas
Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee
Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida
Byron Donalds of Florida
Troy Downing of Montana
Neal Dunn of Florida
Beth Van Duyne of Texas
Chuck Edwards of North Carolina
Jake Ellzey of Texas
Tom Emmer of Minnesota
Ron Estes of Kansas
Gabe Evans of Colorado
Mike Ezell of Mississippi
Pat Fallon of Texas
Randy Feenstra of Iowa
Brad Finstad of Minnesota
Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota
Scott Fitzgerald of Wisconsin
Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania
Charles Fleischmann of Tennessee
Mike Flood of Nebraska
Vince Fong of California
Virginia Foxx of North Carolina
Scott Franklin of Florida
Russell Fry of South Carolina
Russ Fulcher of Idaho
Andrew Garbarino of New York
Brandon Gill of Texas
Carlos Gimenez of Florida
Craig Goldman of Texas
Tony Gonzales of Texas
Lance Gooden of Texas
Paul Gosar of Arizona
Sam Graves of Missouri
Mark Green of Tennessee
Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia
Morgan Griffith of Virginia
Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin
Michael Guest of Mississippi
Brett Guthrie of Kentucky
Harriet Hageman of Wyoming
Abe Hamadeh of Arizona
Mike Haridopolos of Florida
Pat Harrigan of North Carolina
Andy Harris of Maryland
Mark Harris of North Carolina
Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee
Kevin Hern of Oklahoma
Clay Higgins of Louisiana
Ashley Hinson of Iowa
Erin Houchin of Indiana
Richard Hudson of North Carolina
Bill Huizenga of Michigan
Wesley Hunt of Texas
Brian Jack of Georgia
Ronny Jackson of Texas
John James of Michigan
Dusty Johnson of South Dakota
Jim Jordan of Ohio
David Joyce of Ohio
John Joyce of Pennsylvania
Thomas Kean of New Jersey
Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania
Trent Kelly of Mississippi
Mike Kennedy of Utah
Jennifer Kiggans of Virginia
Kevin Kiley of California
Brad Knott of North Carolina
David Kustoff of Tennessee
Darin LaHood of Illinois
Nick LaLota of New York
Doug LaMalfa of California
Nicholas Langworthy of New York
Robert Latta of Ohio
Michael Lawler of New York
Laurel Lee of Florida
Julia Letlow of Louisiana
Barry Loudermilk of Georgia
Frank Lucas of Oklahoma
Anna Paulina Luna of Florida
Morgan Luttrell of Texas
Nancy Mace of South Carolina
Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania
Nicole Malliotakis of New York
Celeste Maloy of Utah
Tracey Mann of Kansas
Thomas Massie of Kentucky
Michael McCaul of Texas
Lisa McClain of Michigan
Tom McClintock of California
Richard McCormick of Georgia
Addison McDowell of North Carolina
John McGuire of Virginia
Mark Messmer of Indiana
Daniel Meuser of Pennsylvania
Carol Miller of West Virginia
Mary Miller of Illinois
Max Miller of Ohio
Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa
Cory Mills of Florida
John Moolenaar of Michigan
Barry Moore of Alabama
Blake Moore of Utah
Riley Moore of West Virginia
Tim Moore of North Carolina
Nathaniel Moran of Texas
Greg Murphy of North Carolina
Troy Nehls of Texas
Dan Newhouse of Washington
Ralph Norman of South Carolina
Zach Nunn of Iowa
Jay Obernolte of California
Andrew Ogles of Tennessee
Bob Onder of Missouri
Burgess Owens of Utah
Gary Palmer of Alabama
Scott Perry of Pennsylvania
August Pfluger of Texas
Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania
Hal Rogers of Kentucky
Mike Rogers of Alabama
John Rose of Tennessee
David Rouzer of North Carolina
Chip Roy of Texas
Michael Rulli of Ohio
John Rutherford of Florida
Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida
Steve Scalise of Louisiana
Derek Schmidt of Kansas
David Schweikert of Arizona
Keith Self of Texas
Pete Sessions of Texas
Jefferson Shreve of Indiana
Michael Simpson of Idaho
Adrian Smith of Nebraska
Christopher Smith of New Jersey
Jason Smith of Missouri
Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania
Victoria Spartz of Indiana
Pete Stauber of Minnesota
Elise Stefanik of New York
Bryan Steil of Wisconsin
Greg Steube of Florida
Dale Strong of Alabama
Marlin Stutzman of Indiana
Dave Taylor of Ohio
Claudia Tenney of New York
Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania
Thomas Tiffany of Wisconsin
William Timmons of South Carolina
Mike Turner of Ohio
David Valadao of California
Jefferson Van Drew of New Jersey
Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin
Ann Wagner of Missouri
Tim Walberg of Michigan
Randy Weber of Texas
Daniel Webster of Florida
Bruce Westerman of Arkansas
Roger Williams of Texas
Joe Wilson of South Carolina
Tony Wied of Wisconsin
Robert Wittman of Virginia
Steve Womack of Arkansas
Rudy Yakym of Indiana
Ryan Zinke of Montana

With additional research and reporting by Amogh Dimri, Marc Novicoff, Gisela Salim-Peyer, and Annie Joy Williams.