“What seems clear at this point is that these younger Republicans, whether it’s because they have a different worldview, and are more Jacksonian, or whether it’s because they are genuinely more focused on domestic considerations, or whether it’s simply because they’re trying to outflank the old guard on an issue that will help them achieve more power, are much more willing to put aid to Ukraine at risk,” said John Ciorciari, a public policy professor at the University of Michigan who specializes in international relations.
“It’s quite normal that the American public tires of overseas expenditures, military or otherwise, as time goes on,” Ciorciari said. “It’s dragging on for a while, people are looking at inflation and other domestic concerns. The Ukraine conflict is not quite off the front page of the papers, but certainly has receded somewhat. And folks, I think, are looking at what’s happening there and thinking, ‘oh, this is going to be another long stalemate.’”
“It’s clear that there’s a real fight for the center of gravity in the party running up to the 2024 election,” Ciorciari said. “And I think the same kind of politics are playing out in the House, there’s a real struggle for control of the GOP. And there is also a particular desire to discredit Biden on an issue that seen as his main foreign policy success.”