The White House published a memo Wednesday seeking to drive a wedge between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Rep. James Comer (R-KY), the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, over the United States' support for Ukraine.
Comer has led Republican efforts to investigate corruption allegations levied against President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden for overseas business dealings. The White House has issued a blanket denial of allegations made by Comer and other Oversight Republicans, but press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre rarely goes into detail when the topic is raised during press briefings.
Wednesday's memo highlighted comments Comer made Wednesday morning on Fox News claiming that Ukraine is an "adversary of the United States" and should not receive additional support in its ongoing attempts to fend off Russia's invasion.
"As Comer continues to struggle in his wild goose chase to attack the President, his dangerous comments about Ukraine play right into Putin’s hands to sow opposition to Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion and to erode support for America’s firm commitment to support Ukraine and rally the world against Putin’s aggression," wrote Ian Sams, the White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations. "We only have one question: Does Speaker McCarthy agree with his top lieutenant that Ukraine is an 'adversary' of the U.S.?
"McCarthy should condemn these dangerous comments from his top ally," he concluded.
Despite McCarthy's objections to many of Biden's policies, he has repeatedly defended U.S. support for Ukraine, despite raising concerns about handing over a "blank check" without U.S. oversight of Ukraine's security apparatus.
He notably dressed down a Russian reporter at a May press conference in Israel for suggesting he doesn't "support" arming Ukraine against the invasion.
"I do not support what your country has done to Ukraine. I do not support your killing of the children either," McCarthy said at the time. "We will continue to support because the rest of the world sees it just as it is."