A member of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee called for the United States to punish Russia in a bizarre Thursday rant on the House floor.
“What Russia has done in Ukraine is immoral, it is illegal, it is against the word, the acts, the intensions of every godly character ever,” Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) said. “God would not have approved. WWJD? What Russia has done deserves the entire condemnation of the world and everything we can do to condemn them and put them out of organized, civilized society is appropriate.”
“I think there’s not too much we can do to Russia, there’s not too much that they’ve done to Ukraine and continue to do in killing children, and disabled and orphans,” he continued. “They deserve all of the might the United States can put on them and take away from them. We need to punish them with all we have.”
Cohen, who said he is not Christian, posted another video of himself questioning the faith of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a House panel. Russia is known for its Orthodox Christianity.
“I said, I want to deliver a message to Mr. Putin,” Cohen said in the video. “I doubt he got the message. TikTok took it everywhere, but not to Putin I suspect. I told him – I said – Mr. Putin, maybe you should just have a little drink of vodka, take a bloody, put a little caviar on it, watch the Olympics, and chill. It would’ve been good if he did that. He did not do it.”
“I guess the only thing I can hope for now is something that many of my Christian friends say, and that I believe is accurate even though I’m not Christian, which is WWJD – What Would Jesus Do?” Cohen continued. “And Mr. Putin, if you’re truly a Russian Orthodox member and believe in the Russian Orthodox church, what would Jesus do? And Mr. Putin, do it.”
Cohen’s office did not return a request from The Tennessee Star seeking clarification.
Many people worry that escalating rhetoric from both major political politics could plunge the United States into a war in Europe.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with Congress for the United States to enact a “No Fly Zone” over Ukraine, which the United States and its allies would have to enforce, and could be construed as a declaration of war against Russia.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
