The mayor of East Palestine, Ohio, ripped into President Joe Biden on Monday for taking a trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, instead of visiting his tiny town, which is in the midst of an environmental disaster after a train carrying toxic materials derailed this month. Trent Conaway told Fox News that Biden's visit was a “slap in the face” that showed he “doesn't care about us.” He said he was “furious” about Biden's pledge to give more money to Ukraine—as it enters its second year of fighting against Russian invaders—on President’s Day instead of diverting federal money to East Palestine's recovery. (While FEMA has been in communication with state and local officials, the company responsible for the derailment has been ordered to fund a clean-up overseen by the EPA.) Fears about the wellbeing of the town’s residents have swirled since the Feb. 2 derailment, which sent plumes of smoke into the air for days, and officials continue to encourage those who rely on wells to only use bottled water.
"That was the biggest slap in the face. That tells you right now he doesn't care about us." — East Palestine, Ohio mayor Trent Conaway slams Biden for visiting Ukraine and giving them hundreds of millions of dollars while his town is suffering. pic.twitter.com/ja6IAkWb3i
