An American business man and one-time Senate candidate, Peter Schiff, 58, has been criticized online after he asked why Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky doesn’t wear a suit – before he then doubled down by accusing the president of wearing makeup before addressing members of the US Congress. 

Peter , who formerly ran as a Republican for the seat of the U.S. Senator from Connecticut twelve years ago made the remarks shortly after Zelensky appeared before the US Senate in his now-trademark khaki green t-shirt.

Schiff, who is the CEO of Euro Pacific Capital bank 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.’

This brought immediate condemnation online, with a Twitter user  responding saying he’d just made ‘one of your worst all time takes’.

 Quoth continued: ‘The guy is in the middle of a war zone ducking  mortars Peter, he’s not going to be rolling around his garment rack with him.’

But Schiff responded again by saying: ‘He was not in combat on a battle field. Someone powdered his face. Not a hair was out of place, and he was clean shaven with a trimmed beard. He chose to wear that t-shirt. He could have easily chosen something less informal.’

Other political commentators blasted Schiff’s tweets and defended Mr Zelensky’s outfit.

‘Good god, Peter, you’re a complete A***HOLE,’ Jon Cooper, former National Finance Chair of Draft Biden 2016, wrote. ‘I can’t believe you haven’t deleted this tweet yet.’ 

‘Dude, not only is he in a war-zone, where I’m sure it’s hard to get a suit press and dry clean, but even if it was possible, it’s favorable for people to see him as one of them sharing the struggle,’ a twitter user called Jonathan added. 

Amy Task, an analyst at CBS Sports, said that Zelensky ‘is fighting to save the lives of others, he is putting his life at risk to do so – he could have left but he didn’t, that speaks to the man he is he is – you care about what he’s wearing, that speaks to the man you are.

Schiff replied: ‘He would not have had to press a suit. I’m sure he had a clean suit hanging in the same closet as his t-shirts. Plus even if there were not suits available, maybe a long-sleeved shirt with a collar.’