“Why don’t you wear a suit?”: A right-wing news outlet with coveted visit questions Zelensky
The voices from the press joined people in a meeting with President Trump and his colleagues on Friday to ask for answers from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Why don’t you wear a suit?” a man asked Mr. Zelensky. “You are at the highest level in the office in this country and you refuse to wear a suit. Just want to see if – do you own a suit?” he added: “A lot of Americans have problems with disrespect for you in the office.”
The questions came from Brian Glenn, a correspondent to the voice of Real America, a right-wing cable channel that spreads conspiracy theories about non-referendums and helped distribute Stephen K. Bannon’s “War Room” podcast after Mr. Bannon was banned from using YouTube, Spotify and other MainStream platforms.
Mr. Glenn’s outlet was selected to take on the role of “secondary television” in the White House News Pool on Friday, a position that did not exist before this week. According to the schedule sent by the White House, the White House continues to block journalists from attending and begins covering the president this week in small settings, such as an Oval Office meeting with Mr. Zelensky.
Pool reporters attend the event in a rotation traditionally organized by the White House Press Association and share their observations with other non-existent media.
Mr Glenn’s comments on Mr Zelensky’s appearance echoed Mr Trump on Friday as Ukrainian leaders got on the car at the White House. Mr. Trump told reporters: “He was dressed up today.”
Since the beginning of the war, Mr. Zelensky has regularly worn standard-issued outdoor uniforms to show solidarity with the country’s armed forces. His criticism of not wearing a suit sparked immediate protest online.
After the meeting, Mr. Zelensky received international support, which had become confrontational before Mr. Glen’s question.
Legislators and media critics were quick to point out that just this week, Elon Musk appeared at a cabinet meeting wearing a T-shirt with the word “technical support” engraved under the coat. When Mr. Musk spoke with Mr. Trump at the Oval Office earlier this month, he appeared to be wearing a shirt that said “Occupy Mars.”
In response to this rebound, Mr. Glenn made a lengthy personal statement on Saturday morning expressing “extreme sympathy for the Ukrainian people” but continued to condemn Mr. Zelensky.
He suggested in his post that Mr. Zelensky often showed respect in the olive green military fatigue he wore at meetings with other world leaders, but the black tactical sweater with his national badge did not.
“For him, dressing up like him again, to enter the highest position of the world’s most powerful country, reflects his inner disrespect not only to our country, the president and the U.S. citizens, which allows Ukraine to survive at this point,” Mr. Glen wrote.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia representative who dated Mr. Glen, praised the exchange on social media on Friday.
“I am so proud of @brianglenntv pointing out Zelensky’s disrespect for America that he couldn’t even wear a suit when he begged our president from the Oval Office for making money.”
