Last year, I supported Senator Kennedy’s re-election. I voted for him, volunteered for his campaign, and even met the Senator once at an event. So, I was invested in his campaign and was grateful to see him win last November.

That being said, no elected official is above criticism. Based on Senator Kennedy’s rhetoric this week, Louisiana voters need to ask the following questions: Is Senator Kennedy “Louisiana First” or “Ukraine First“? Does he support the interests of Louisiana and the American people or does he care more about Ukraine? You, the reader, will be the judge here.

Yesterday, I came across the following post on Senator Kennedy’s Instagram page:

I was quite disappointed to see this post. Louisiana’s golden boy and national media star still supports sending BILLIONS of American tax dollars to a corrupt, illegitimate Ukrainian Regime. Are you kidding me? It’s bad enough that Kennedy supported aid to Ukraine last year, but he still holds to the same Bush-era talking points about foreign policy even as Louisiana is falling apart.

The Federal Government already sent over $100 Billion dollars to the Ukraine. For comparison, Louisiana’s annual state budget is roughly one-tenth of that amount. Yet, Senator Kennedy is ready to hold hands with Democrats to waste more of our money.

Now, you can’t find that social media post anymore. Why? The Kennedy team deleted it. The heavy volume of negative comments on this post likely caused the Kennedy team to cut its losses amid the blowback.

While Louisiana voters may have showed displeasure toward Kennedy’s comments, that fact didn’t change Senator Kennedy’s rhetoric. Never mind that Conservatives are getting sick of sending untold Billions of their money to the Ukraine. Nevertheless, you can still find yesterday’s pro-Ukraine press release on Senator Kennedy’s website:

Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) today welcomed the appointment of a Lead Inspector General (IG) to provide focused oversight of America’s aid to Ukraine. Kennedy and Sinema led the effort in Congress to install a Special IG in Ukraine who could provide comprehensive oversight to ensure America’s friends in Ukraine use taxpayer-funded aid efficiently and effectively in their fight against Russia’s illegal invasion

“America’s aid to Ukraine isn’t charity; it’s an important investment in our national security. I’m pleased that the Department of Defense has listened to our proposal and selected a Lead Inspector General to ensure that every dollar the American taxpayers sent to Ukraine is used to deter Russia’s aggression,” said Kennedy.

Even better, you can find a massive Ukrainian flag plastered on the front page of Senator Kennedy’s website. Oddly enough, I can’t find Louisiana’s state flag on his website’s home page. Not great optics.

If you follow the news, you’ve probably head Senator Kennedy talk about “Biden-inflation”. Many of his media interviews and social media posts center around the crippling inflation that American families have endured under the Biden administration. Yet, Kennedy simultaneously believes that spending over a $100 Billion dollars in Ukraine is vital to American interests. What interests specifically: the military-industrial complex (Raytheon, Lockheed-Martin), Bush-era warhawks, the CIA? Give me a break.

When I look around Louisiana and the United States more broadly, I see a state and nation in decline. Crime runs rampant in our cities, our infrastructure crumbles by the day, and fentanyl floods rural communities.

We can make Louisiana and America great again. We have some of the best people in the world right in our backyard, but we still have “Conservative” politicians who can’t help but send our money to foreign countries.

“Louisiana First” and “America First patriots don’t support an audit of aid to the Ukraine. We want NO MORE AID. Our hard-earned money belongs in Louisiana, not in a foreign country. Our tax dollars are being stolen right in front of our eyes, and we cannot stand idly by.

Let’s focus on Louisiana, not Ukraine. The good people of Louisiana deserve elected officials who will put our interests first, not the interests of a foreign government.

“Louisiana First” is our rallying cry.