(NewsNation) — President Joe Biden is facing backlash from some who say he’s prioritizing Ukraine over issues in the U.S. like the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment following his announcement to send more aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia.
East Palestine Mayor Trent Conway has been critical of what he believes to be a slow response from local and federal officials to address rising concerns over the toxic train derailment.
Biden has not visited East Palestine since the Feb. 3 derailment.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency first turned down disaster relief for Ohio with the agency telling Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine the toxic spill was not eligible for assistance. FEMA has since reversed that decision; it announced assistance was on the way last Friday.
But how will it compare to the additional $500 million in military aid awarded to Ukraine announced during the president’s Kyiv tour Monday?
Eric Mitchell, a political analyst and president of Lifeflip Media, tweeted an image Saturday that stated “Ohio declares itself part of Ukraine in hopes of receiving aid from Biden Administration.”
“To me, it’s frustrating that everything is slow. And it’s just a coinkidink that Friday is the same day that former President Trump announced he’s going to come visit tomorrow,” Mitchell said. “All of a sudden, all this aid started showing up.”
Mitchell said Americans should be the first priority.
“It’s like this should be an immediate response. Yes, there’s only 6,000 people in East Palestine, Ohio, but those are Americans, and that’s the first priority,” he said. “And as somebody who’s served our country, I don’t understand what my president is doing over in Ukraine, giving away billions of dollars.”
Meanwhile, Chris Hahn, host of the Aggressive Progressive Podcast, disagrees regarding Biden’s overall response to each issue.
“The United States government is vast and large, and the money we’re sending to Ukraine is necessary to preserve democracy in Europe. This is a threat from a foreign power, who is our greatest adversary militarily on the world stage,” he said. “But the president going to Ukraine is sending a message not only to Russia, and to our allies in Europe, but to the Chinese who are considering giving lethal aid to the Russians.”
Hahn added, “But yes, the federal government can and should be doing more in East Palestine. They should be doing everything they can to restore the confidence in the people they’re relocating them if necessary.”