GOP candidate for Minn. governor opposes Ukraine financial aid

As his state’s House of Representatives unanimously approved sanctions against Russia and Belarus over the invasion of Ukraine, Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Mike Murphy took aim at federal aid to the war-torn country.

“No Joe Biden!” Murphy wrote in a quote retweet of a video of President Joe Biden announcing over $1.3 billion in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

No Joe Biden! Let’s take care of our border and homeless veterans that fought for our freedom. American’s are done being a piggy bank for the rest of the world. It’s time we start taking care of Americans. We know eventually 10% of this money will make it to the “BIG GUY.” https://t.co/3GPT6EROZF

— Mayor Mike Murphy For Governor (@MikeMurphyForMN) March 24, 2022

The Biden administration announced last month that it is “prepared to provide more than $1 billion in new funding towards humanitarian assistance for those affected by Russia’s war in Ukraine.”

The money includes $320 million to “support societal resilience and defend human rights in Ukraine and neighboring countries,” the White House said. Funding priorities include bolstering the safety and security of activists and LGBTQ persons, supporting media freedoms and countering disinformation.  

During a press conference last week, Biden announced the U.S. “will welcome 100,000 Ukrainians to the United States with a focus on reuniting families.”

Murphy, currently the mayor of Lexington, felt humanitarian aid and refugee resettlement for Ukrainians was the wrong move. “Let’s take care of our border and homeless veterans that fought for our freedom. American’s [sic] are done being a piggy bank for the rest of the world. It’s time we start taking care of Americans,” he wrote in the tweet.

Murphy then said he knew “eventually 10% of this money will make it to the ‘BIG GUY.’”

The “BIG GUY” is a likely reference to Republican theories that “the big guy” referenced on Hunter Biden’s much-talked-about laptop; it is speculated to be a code word for Joe Biden.

The same day Murphy tweeted his tweet, the Minnesota House unanimously passed legislation which required the State Board of Investment to divest all holdings of Russian and Belarussian assets and largely prevented state agencies from contracting with Russian and Belarussian entities. The State Senate passed the same legislation, unanimously, the following week.

Murphy’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment as of press time.