Donald Trump’s proposal to secure rare-earth mineral rights from Ukraine in exchange for continued aid is a protection racket that would make Tony Soprano proud, Democratic Rep. Jim Himes said Sunday on a hit with Fox News.
Himes, who represents Connecticut and is the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, made the comparison on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream. The segment opened with a video of Trump speaking Saturday at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, saying:
“I’m trying to get the money back that, uh, or secured because, you know, Europe has given $100 billion. The United States has given $350 billion. Europe gave it in the form of a loan—they get their money back. We gave it in the form of nothing.”
Bream asked Himes if U.S. aid to Ukraine should come with some form of guaranteed return.
“Well, Shannon, I have two problems with that concept,” he said. “One, it just looks like an episode of ‘The Sopranos,’ right? ‘Give us your minerals or we’re not going to help you fight a bloody butcher.’ I mean, is this really what we want the greatest country in history to be known for—for like, you know, some mafia thing?”
Himes noted that “we’ve always stood with the good guys,” and “now, this president is standing with the bad guy. He’s saying Zelensky is the problem when Zelensky, with very few resources, is trying to stand up for democracy against a totalitarian butcher.”
He also suggested that Trump’s “mafia-like activities” could lead to U.S. troops getting involved in conflicts worldwide.
“What really worries me, Shannon, is what do you think President Xi is thinking? Because President Xi wakes up every single morning thinking, ‘Is today the day I go into Taiwan?’ And he says, ‘Look at that—Donald Trump stands with the authoritarian invaders, not with the people who are being invaded.’”
Watch the entire exchange in the video above.
