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Pete

@splendid_pete

Mar 24

🧵1/8 #PeteFactCheck: Charlie Kirk's historical and constitutional revisionism is pure nonsense

Charlie Kirk’s statements are a mix of historical distortion, misrepresentation of legal principles, and outright Christian nationalism. Let’s rip this apart piece by piece.

2/8 1️⃣ Lie: "Our country was taught on common law, because the declaration only refers to God four times in the constitution. It doesn't refer to God at all."

🟥Blatant ignorance—these are two separate documents, and the Constitution deliberately omits God.

‣ The Declaration of Independence mentions a "Creator," "Nature’s God," "Divine Providence," and the "Supreme Judge of the World." These were Deist references, not explicitly Christian.

‣ The United States Constitution—the actual legal framework of the country—does not mention God or Christianity at all. It is a secular document, intentionally designed to separate government from religious authority.

‣ The only religious reference in the Constitution is in Article VI, which explicitly bans religious tests for public office. This completely destroys Kirk’s claim that America was founded as a Christian nation.

✔ Verdict: Kirk is butchering basic civics. The Constitution is deliberately secular.

3/8 2️⃣ Lie: "13 out of 13 state constitutions required a declaration of faith."

🟥 Half-truth twisted into Christian nationalist propaganda.

‣ Some early state constitutions had religious tests for officeholders, but these were not national policies, and many were removed over time.

‣ The U.S. Constitution (Article VI, Clause 3) explicitly bans these religious tests. The First Amendment later reinforced this by preventing Congress from establishing a religion.

‣ Several state constitutions referenced Christianity, but many were rooted in generic Deism, not explicit evangelical Christianity.

✔ Verdict: Misleading. Some early state constitutions had religious requirements, but these were later overridden by federal law.

Read 9 tweets

Pete

@splendid_pete

Mar 16

Fact check

1/7 The truth about the USAID loan guarantee, Viktor Shokin’s firing, and Republican hypocrisy.

The truth about the USAID loan guarantee, Viktor Shokin’s firing, and Republican hypocrisy
The Trump propaganda machine, led by figures like Mike Benz, has manufactured a false narrative about the 2016 U.S. loan guarantee to Ukraine and the firing of Viktor Shokin. These lies attempt to frame Joe Biden as corrupt while conveniently ignoring the Republican-led efforts to remove Shokin and Ukraine’s broader anti-corruption agenda.

2/7 The USAID loan guarantee—what it was and what it wasn’t

Mike Benz, either due to ignorance or willful deception, falsely claims that USAID gave Ukraine money. That is completely false.

‣ The 2016 USAID loan guarantee was not a grant—Ukraine did not receive direct funds from the U.S. government.

‣ Instead, the U.S. acted as a guarantor, allowing Ukraine to borrow $1 billion from international capital markets at lower interest rates.

‣ This measure was intended to stabilize Ukraine’s economy following Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea and its ongoing aggression in Eastern Ukraine.

‣ The purpose of the loan was to fund Ukraine’s economic and anti-corruption reforms, something that directly contradicts the narrative pushed by Trump and his allies.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loan_guar…

3/7 The truth about Viktor Shokin—he was not investigating Burisma

One of the biggest lies in Trump-world is that Viktor Shokin was actively investigating Burisma when he was fired. The evidence says otherwise.

‣ Shokin’s own deputy, Vitaly Kasko, stated that the investigation into Burisma was dormant under Shokin. In other words, he was doing nothing.

‣ When Shokin’s successor, Yuriy Lutsenko, took over, he confirmed that there was no active investigation into Hunter Biden or Burisma.

‣ The Obama administration, the European Union, the International Monetary Fund, and Ukrainian anti-corruption groups all pushed for Shokin’s removal because he was blocking corruption probes, not enforcing them.

Read 8 tweets

Pete

@splendid_pete

Mar 10

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1898608186858373428

#PeteFactCheck

1/17 So, here is the kicker: Most of the Ukrainian oligarchs who reside in Monaco and the French Riviera are pro-Russian. Let's go through them, shall we?

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1898608186858373428

2/17 Kostiantyn Zhevago (Костянтин Живаго)

Background: A prominent Ukrainian oligarch, ranked fourth among Ukraine’s wealthiest by Forbes. Former owner of the Finance and Credit Bank and shareholder of Ferrexpo Plc, an iron ore company. Known for his luxurious 65-meter yacht "Zet," valued at $70 million.

Legal Status: Wanted by Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) since September 2019 for allegedly embezzling 2.5 billion UAH from his bank’s depositors. Declared on an international wanted list a year ago, though his exact whereabouts were unknown until spotted in Monaco. He denies wrongdoing.

Connections to Russia: No direct ties mentioned in the document, though his yacht’s name "Zet" (initially linked to his surname’s English transliteration "Zhevago") raised speculation due to its similarity to Russian war symbols, which he refuted.

Current Residence: Spotted on his yacht near Monaco, later moving to Saint-Tropez, Cannes, and currently near Sardinia, Italy, suggesting he’s living abroad, likely on the French Riviera or nearby regions.

3/17 Hryhoriy Surkis (Григорій Суркіс)

Background: A Ukrainian businessman and politician, former MP from the banned pro-Russian Opposition Platform – For Life (OPZZh) party. Part of the influential Surkis brothers, known for their business ventures and ownership of Dynamo Kyiv football club.

Legal Status: No explicit legal actions mentioned against him, but his family reportedly left Ukraine at the start of the full-scale invasion without declaring cash, later registering over $17.5 million at Hungarian customs (disputed by the brothers).

Connections to Russia: Linked to the pro-Russian OPZZh party, suggesting political alignment with Russian interests pre-ban, but no direct business activities in Russia or with Russian entities are documented.

Current Residence: Renting apartments at the five-star Monte-Carlo Bay hotel in Monaco for several years, per Ukrainian Pravda sources.

Read 17 tweets

Pete

@splendid_pete

Mar 6

1/8 The plan has fallen apart. After days of speculation and behind-the-scenes maneuvering, Ukraine’s opposition leaders have now decisively rejected not only the idea of early elections but also any coordination with Trump’s team to challenge Zelenskyy’s leadership. Tymoshenko and Poroshenko—once viewed as possible players in this scheme—have instead drawn a clear line: wartime elections are off the table. The very people Trump’s allies were relying on have now distanced themselves, leaving the entire operation in shambles.

2/8 This is a stunning blow to Trump’s backroom strategy. The goal was clear: force Ukraine into elections that would weaken Zelenskyy, opening the door for a new, more “negotiable” leader who could pave the way for a Trump-brokered peace deal—one that would inevitably favor Russian interests. But with Ukraine’s opposition refusing to play along, the plan now has nowhere to go. Even those most eager for power understand that trying to change leadership mid-war is political suicide.

3/8 Trump’s allies are already trying to spin the failure. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick now insists the administration was merely “exploring all diplomatic options.” Meanwhile, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has doubled down on the attack, falsely claiming that Zelenskyy is refusing to hold elections because he’s a “power-hungry dictator.” But the facts are clear: Ukraine’s constitution prohibits elections under martial law, and now even the opposition acknowledges that changing leadership mid-invasion would be a disaster.

Read 8 tweets

Pete

@splendid_pete

Mar 6

1/8 In a move dripping with political betrayal and opportunism, Trump’s closest allies have been engaged in covert discussions with Ukraine’s most calculating political figures—Yulia Tymoshenko and members of Petro Poroshenko’s faction—working behind the scenes to orchestrate the potential downfall of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. As Washington’s foreign policy posture shifts dangerously close to Moscow’s interests, these secret talks appear to be part of a larger effort to sideline Zelenskyy and install a more compliant leader in Kyiv—one willing to play by Trump’s rules.

2/8 At the center of this scheme is the push for early Ukrainian presidential elections, an idea that conveniently ignores the fact that elections are currently suspended under martial law due to the ongoing war. While Zelenskyy’s opponents have publicly opposed holding elections under such dire circumstances, privately, they are engaging with Trump’s operatives, positioning themselves as more “reasonable” alternatives who might be open to concessions that Zelenskyy has refused to entertain.

3/8 Trump’s team, eager to install someone more aligned with their interests, is betting on public frustration with the war and economic hardship to erode Zelenskyy’s support. However, despite the manufactured crisis, polls still show him significantly ahead of his competitors. The latest numbers place him at 44% support, while his nearest rival, Valery Zaluzhny, lags at 23%. Poroshenko and Tymoshenko—the supposed “viable” alternatives—remain political afterthoughts in single digits.

Read 8 tweets

Pete

@splendid_pete

Mar 1

1/6 🄱🄴🅃🅁🄰🅈🄰🄻

The February 28th White House press conference between Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will go down as one of the most shameful, embarrassing, and infuriating performances by a U.S. administration in modern history.

Together, Trump and Vance turned what should have been a serious diplomatic engagement into a circus of self-aggrandizement, deception, and open disrespect toward Ukraine. Instead of standing firm against Russian aggression, the two humiliated themselves with lies, arrogance, and an obvious willingness to sell out Ukraine for their own interests.

This press conference was not about diplomacy. It was about Trump’s fragile ego, Vance’s smug condescension, and their collective inability to lead with strength and integrity.

2/7 Trump’s and Vance’s outright lies and historical revisionism

Shameless, pathological dishonesty – These two lie as effortlessly as they breathe.

‣ "If I were President, this war would have never happened." – This is pure revisionist garbage. Russia invaded Crimea in 2014 under Obama. Under Trump, Russia escalated its hybrid warfare, engaged in massive cyberattacks, and built up its military threat while Trump cozied up to Putin. The idea that Trump’s presence alone would have prevented war is a delusional fantasy.

‣ "Putin respected me." – Absolute bullshit. Trump enabled Putin at every turn, attacking NATO, withholding aid from Ukraine for personal political favors, and doing everything possible to weaken the Western alliance. The only reason Russia didn’t invade sooner is that Trump was already giving them what they wanted.

‣ "Obama gave you sheets, I gave you Javelins." – A misleading talking point that ignores the key fact that Trump’s administration imposed heavy restrictions on those Javelins, preventing them from being used against Russian forces. Meanwhile, Vance stood by nodding in agreement, fully embracing Trump’s absurd claim, despite the reality that Trump’s legacy in Ukraine was one of betrayal and weakness.

✔ Verdict: Trump and Vance are rewriting history to make themselves look strong when, in reality, they’ve been Putin’s useful idiots.

3/7 Their outright disrespect toward Zelenskyy and Ukraine

Insulting, degrading, and unpresidential behavior – A disgusting display of arrogance.

‣ "You're not acting thankful." – This was one of the most appalling moments of the entire press conference. Zelenskyy is leading a nation fighting for its survival, and Trump and Vance treated him like a subordinate who needed to show gratitude rather than an ally deserving of respect.

‣ "You don’t have the cards. With us, you have the cards. Without us, you have nothing." – This mob boss mentality is absolutely repugnant. Ukraine is not a pawn in some transactional deal—it is a sovereign nation fighting a genocidal invasion. But Trump and Vance made it clear they see Ukraine’s struggle as nothing more than a bargaining chip.

‣ Vance piled on, smugly asking, "Have you even thanked us?" – The sheer audacity of this remark is breathtaking. Ukraine has lost hundreds of thousands of lives, and Vance—who has never served in the military, never led in crisis, and has zero foreign policy experience—lectured Zelenskyy like an ungrateful beggar.

✔ Verdict: Trump and Vance treated Ukraine like a vassal state, not a sovereign ally, and completely disrespected Zelenskyy as a leader.

Read 8 tweets

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