A SENIOR banker has been roundly mocked for suggesting the Ukrainian president should have worn a suit to address the US Congress.
Peter Schiff, chief economist and global strategist at the investment firm Euro Pacific Capital, was pilloried for suggesting Volodymyr Zelenskyy should have worn a shirt and tie to address congressmen and women on Wednesday.
Zelenskyy – who has won international praise for his bravery for staying in his country during the brutal Russian invasion – urged US lawmakers to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine while calling for more military support.
I understand times are hard, but doesn't the President of the #Ukraine own a suit? I don't have much respect for current members of the U.S. Congress either, but I still wouldn't address them wearing a t-shirt. I wouldn't want to disrespect the institution or the Unites States.
— Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) March 16, 2022
A similar address to the Commons saw him earn comparisons to wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill for his moving speech.
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Since the Russian invasion he has taken to wearing a Ukrainian military T-shirt and combat trousers as supreme commander in chief of the country’s armed forces.
But it has not won him fans in all quarters.
Schiff, who once ran to be a Republican senator and has an estimated net worth of $70 million, said Zelenskyy’s dress was disrespectful to the US legislature and the country as a whole.
He tweeted: I understand times are hard, but doesn't the President of the #Ukraine own a suit?
“I don't have much respect for current members of the U.S. Congress either, but I still wouldn't address them wearing a t-shirt.
“I wouldn't want to disrespect the institution or the Unites [sic] States.”
Schiff’s comments were seen as out of touch by many.
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Restaurant critic Jay Rayner responded saying: “I don't know about anyone else but I'm startled to discover that an investment banker, which could be rhyming slang, is incapable of getting his priorities in order.”
Media personality Piers Morgan curtly called Schiff a “p****”.
The co-founder of the anti-Trump Republican group the Lincoln Project, Rick Wilson said: “Maybe since his city and nation is being shelled, bombed, and attacked by cruise missiles it's a little hard to get his dry cleaning. Priorities.”
Another Twitter user commented: “The dress code for Presidents in capital cities under assault from foreign invaders is probably best left to those on the ground.”
As of March 14, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has recorded a total of 691 civilian deaths during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Euro Pacific Capital was approached for comment.
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