Madison Cawthorn 'infuriated' fellow Republicans by smearing Zelensky as a 'thug': report

Controversial first-term Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) has annoyed members of his own party with his pro-Kremlin attack on the president of Ukraine.

"The North Carolina Republican infuriated members of his own party this week for calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "thug" and the Ukrainian government 'incredibly evil' -- comments that surfaced just days before Zelensky made a passionate plea to Congress on Wednesday for more help in defending Ukraine against Russia's bloody assault on the country," CNN reported Friday.

Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX) is the coach of the Republican baseball team and told CNN, "It was the talk of baseball practice today."

"It's not the time to toss accusations around like that," Williams said. "What I would just say is, I wish he hadn't said it. That was the general sentiment (at practice.)"

He wasn't the only Republican to voice criticism to CNN.

"Madison Cawthorn has said he is here for PR and not legislating. I don't think he's a serious legislator," Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC). "I think he's more interested in throwing bombs than he is in actually trying to help the country."

"I don't think he has very much respect for the Republican conference or anywhere else," Rice added. "He's living in a dream land."

Pro-Kremlin voices have put the Republican Party in a difficult spot, with Trump praising Putin's "genius" invasion as "savvy" while Fox News has pushed Russian propaganda, to the delight of the Kremlin.