Voices from the press section joined the chorus of those demanding answers from Ukrainian President Voldy Mirzelensky during a meeting with President Trump and his teammates on Friday.
“Would you like to wear a suit?” the man asked Mr. Zelensky. “You are at the highest level in the offices of this country and you refuse to wear a suit. Just want to see – do you own a suit?” he added, “Many Americans have a problem not respecting the office.”
The question came from Brian Glen, a correspondent for authentic American voices, who spread the theory of conspiracy about non-citizen votes and helped distribute Stephen K. Bannon's “War Room” podcast after Bannon was banned from YouTube, Spotify and other mainstream platforms.
Glenn's outlet was selected alongside CNN on Friday to serve as a “secondary television” role in the White House press pool. That access was granted when the White House began this week to continue blocking reporters from the Associated Press and manually depict pool reporters covering the president in small environments, such as an oval office meeting with Zelensky.
Pool reporters take part in events in rotations traditionally organized by the White House Correspondents Association and share observations with other non-existent outlets.
Glenn's comments about Zelensky's appearance on Friday resonated with Trump's resonance on Friday as the Ukrainian leader left the car at the White House. “He's all dressed today,” Trump told reporters, showing Zelensky's outfit.
Since the start of the war, Zelensky has regularly worn standard question uniforms as an exhibition of solidarity with his country's military. Criticism that he was not wearing a suit quickly protested online.
Zelensky received an international pour of support after the meeting. This became hostile long before Mr. Glenn's question.
Lawmakers and media critics quickly pointed out that this week, Elon Musk appeared at a cabinet meeting wearing a t-shirt decorated with the words “technical support” under an overcoat. And when Musk spoke alongside Trump in his oval office earlier this month, he appeared to be wearing a shirt with the words “Occupation Mars” written on it.
In response to the backlash, Glenn posted a long personal statement on Saturday morning that has expressed “extreme sympathy for the Ukrainian people” but continues to take Zelensky.
He proposed in the post that olive green military fatigue, which Zelensky often wears at meetings with other world leaders, was not the case with black tactical sweaters with his country's coat of arms.
“His once again enters the best office in the world's most powerful country reflects his inner disrespect to the American citizens who have made it possible for our country, the president and Ukraine to survive to this point, dressed as he did,” Glenn wrote.
On Friday, Georgia president Marjorie Taylor Green, who is dating Glenn, praised her social media interaction.
“I am very proud of @brianglenntv for pointing out that Zelensky is making America so rude that he can't even wear a suit in an oval office for money from the president,” she writes.
