The footage of Manchin with the Apple product posted on Twitter via The Recount has been viewed over 390,000 times as of Wednesday afternoon. Manchin’s action happened as Zelensky was speaking to Congress virtually.
Twitter users expressed their criticism in response to the video showing the senator on the electronic device.
Steven DeKnight, writer of Pacific Rim: Uprising and producer of the Starz series Spartacus, blasted the lawmaker: “Hey, @Sen_JoeManchin. You’re a disgrace. The world will be a much better place when corrupt, small men like you have faded from it.”
The Daily Show tweeted: “Who knew there was Tinder for oil lobbyists.”
Another social media user posted: “You have got to be kidding me! Maybe certain members of Congress should learn to be respectful when the President of another country is pleading with them for help to save his country.”
Someone else asked the senator what had his attention focused on the tablet and not on Zelensky: “@Sen_JoeManchin what’s so important that you need to be scrolling thru your tablet rather than watching President Zelenskyy plead his case to help stop a war in his country?”
A third person tweeted: “@Sen_JoeManchin You sure are showing us who you really are these days! How incredibly disrepectful!”
During his 16-minute speech, Zelensky asked the group of U.S. legislators for a no-fly zone as his country continues to try and fight back Russian forces following the invasion.
“Is this too much to ask? Humanitarian, no-fly zone — something that Russia would not be able to [use to] terrorize our free cities. If this is too much to ask, we offer an alternative. You know what kind of defense systems we need—S-300 and other similar systems. You know how much depends on the battlefield on the ability to use aircraft,” Zelensky said.
Also during his address, Zelensky presented Close the Sky, a video that showed aerial views of several Ukrainian cities as well as what appeared to be Russian forces carrying attacks in the eastern European country.
Zelensky also referenced the Pearl Harbor and September 11 attacks and called for even more sanctions on Russia.
At a Wednesday press conference following Zelensky’s address, South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stated that he stood by his previous comments that Russian President Vladimir Putin should be assassinated.
Additionally, Graham said that he believes that MiG-29 fighter jets should be delivered following the Ukrainian president’s request for the aircraft. However, he did not appear in favor of implementing a no-fly zone. He stated his support of President Joe Biden’s present approach of not putting a no-fly zone in place.
Zelensky’s address to Congress comes after he said on Tuesday that Ukraine will not become a member of NATO.
Newsweek reached out to Manchin’s office for comment but did not hear back before publication.
This is a breaking story and will be updated shortly.
Update 3/16/22, 1:12 PM ET: This story has been updated with additional information.
