Amid the barracking of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, first by JD Vance and then by Donald Trump himself, it was perhaps easy to miss that for a moment one of the journalists present in the room seemed to join in, asking Zelenskyy: “I just want to see if you, do you own a suit? A lot of Americans have problems with you not respecting the dignity of his office.”
The question would be a strange one coming from a journalist who had done even the bare minimum of research ahead of an opportunity to ask Zelensky a question. The Ukrainian president has spoken publicly many times about his refusal to wear a suit while his country is under siege, and that dressing as he does is both a reminder his country is at war and a symbol of solidarity with its troops.
A reporter with a basic grasp of history might know Zelensky’s attire had a precedent, too – when Winston Churchill visited the White House during World War II to appeal for American aid, he came dressed in a siren suit instead of formal attire.
But perhaps knowing the basics was too much to expect of the questioner, Brian Glenn, self-styled “Chief White House Correspondent” of Real America’s Voice – one of the fringe pro-Trump outlets that makes Fox News look mainstream. Glenn is perhaps better known as the boyfriend of pro-QAnon congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a woman so extreme that even MAGA republicans often shun her.
As it happens, Zelensky – a former stand-up comedian well versed in dealing with hecklers – was more than able to shrug off Glenn’s intervention in any case: “I will wear costume after this war will finish,” he said, deadpan. “Maybe something like yours… maybe something better.”
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