Trent Conaway, mayor of East Palestine, Ohio, site of a disastrous train derailment earlier this month that released toxic chemicals into the air, onto the ground, and into the water of that community, slammed President Biden over his surprise visit to Ukraine.
Conaway made an appearance on a broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Jesse Watters Primetime” earlier this week.
Despite the ongoing environmental crisis in East Palestine, Biden chose to spend his President’s Day visiting the war-torn Eastern European country of Ukraine.
“That was the biggest slap in the face that tells you right now, he doesn’t care about us,” Conaway told Waters, noting that news of Biden’s overseas visit made him “furious.”
East Palestine, Ohio Mayor Trent Conaway: “I found out today through one of the briefings that [Biden] was in the Ukraine giving millions to people over there and doing nothing for us. I’m furious.”pic.twitter.com/8jn32aI4kc
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) February 21, 2023
RELATED: DeSantis Slams Biden’s ‘Blank Check’ Policy For Ukraine After President’s Surprise Visit to Kyiv
East Palestine Mayor Lays Into Biden’s Misplaced Priorities
East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway blasted President Biden for promising more aid to Ukraine even as his community struggles to secure federal aid for their emergency situation.
“So … he can send every agency he wants to but I found that out this morning and one of the briefings that he was in the Ukraine giving millions of dollars away to people over there, not to us, and I’m furious,” he seethed.
Conaway’s criticism comes as Biden announced yet another roughly $500 million in aid for Ukraine’s war effort, on top of the over $100 billion already sent or promised by the United States.
By Tuesday, the East Palestine mayor refused to apologize for his comments about Biden.
“I was very frustrated, but I stand by those comments … if he wants to come, he is welcome,” Conaway said.
East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway defends saying it was “the biggest slap in the face” for President Biden to visit Ukraine while Ohio deals with chemical fallout from the train derailment:
“I was very frustrated, and I stand by those comments.” pic.twitter.com/iTEnaiwlNw
— The Recount (@therecount) February 21, 2023
RELATED: Rosie O’Donnell Slams Government Response to Ohio Train Derailment, Drops 9/11 Comparison
Trump Visiting East Palestine
The East Palestine train derailment has seen such a disastrous federal response that even normally friendly leftists have been going after President Biden.
Former talk show host Rosie O’Donnell blasted the government response to the disaster and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) subsequent blasé reaction to public concerns.
“I don’t trust the EPA. I don’t trust them. After 9/11, I don’t know how anyone could,” O’Donnell said.
You know the left is screwed when you lose Rosie.
H/t @Yolo304741 pic.twitter.com/CaNWO7I2EL
— Merissa Hansen (@merissahansen17) February 18, 2023
Podcast host Joe Rogan described the Biden administration’s response to the disaster as a “colossal failure” and pointed to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s concerns about white construction workers and diversity hiring as leading to “fucking disasters.”
Joe Rogan on Pete Buttigieg’s comments on White construction workers: “Shows a profound lack of understanding” pic.twitter.com/ZEieL3i4bN
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) February 17, 2023
Despite his criticism, Conaway is still extending an open invitation to President Biden.
“I would never turn anybody away,” he insisted. “If he wants to come visit, he can come visit.”
“We don’t want to be political pawns,” added Conaway. “We don’t want to be a sound bite or a news bite, we just want to go back to living our lives.”
Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, will be making a visit to East Palestine on Wednesday.
He will reportedly donate thousands of gallons of cleaning supplies and more than a dozen pallets of water to the community, with each pallet holding a couple of thousand bottles of water.
“President Trump is meeting with the citizens of East Palestine and will never forget them and what they are going through,” an adviser to Trump told Fox News. “Contrast that with Biden and the federal government who has failed them from the beginning.”
JD Vance at Leslie Run near East Palestine, Ohio:
“There’s dead worms and dead fish all through this water. If you scrape the creek bed it’s like chemicals coming out of the ground. This is disgusting!”pic.twitter.com/F6sTeeLJ73
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) February 16, 2023
The Biden administration on Friday – more than two weeks after the train derailment and subsequent controlled burn to mitigate the release of toxins into the air and water – announced it would send DHS and CDC medical personnel and toxicologists to the area.
They made that decision only after Trump’s scheduled visit had been publicly announced.
Residents have claimed severe health issues following the derailment, while videos of dead fish in the water have gone viral.
Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #3 on Feedspot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites.”
