Arizona Republicans rip Biden for visiting Ukraine but not Ohio derailment site

A trio of House Republicans from Arizona took to Twitter this week to blast President Joe Biden for visiting Ukraine before going to East Palestine, Ohio, the site of a toxic train derailment.

Their comments came amid growing criticism for the administration's slow response in responding to the train crash that emitted dangerous toxins into the atmosphere and water, as well as an expected visit this week by former President Donald Trump to East Palestine.

Reps. Paul Gosar, Andy Biggs and Eli Crane's tweets represent a segment of House Republicans opposed to the U.S. aiding Kyiv with weapons and financial assistance to fight Russia's invasion.

Biggs, who represents Arizona's 5th Congressional District, tweeted: "You should be standing with East Palestine — an American town in your own country that needs your help."

The train derailed Feb. 3 in East Palestine, but it took until Feb 14 for Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to comment on what transpired. Neither Biden nor Buttigieg has been to Ohio since the incident, but Buttigieg told CNN on Tuesday he would go "when the time is right."

Trump, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, is expected to visit Wednesday.

While officials have said it is safe to return, thousands of fish have died and residents have reported livestock deaths.

Gosar, who represents Arizona's 9th Congressional District, tweeted: "Joe Biden visiting Ukraine is a slap in the face to every American, especially the people of East Palestine, Ohio."

His post trended on Twitter in politics because of the second part of his post: "Ukraine is not our friend, and Russia is not our enemy."

Last October, Gosar invited Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Arizona for mediation to end the war. He described himself as a "non-combatant peace activist" who had witnessed enough violence between the two sides.

Crane, who represents Arizona's 2nd Congressional District, retweeted an article from the conservative news outlet Breitbart about Biden's visit to Ukraine with the hashtag: "#americalast."

With the war in Ukraine at its one-year mark, helping Kyiv has enjoyed bipartisan support. However, a minority within the House Republican caucus, such as Gosar, Biggs and Crane, have expressed opposition. With the Republicans only in the majority by a handful of seats in the House, it is more difficult to approve aid for Ukraine in the current Congress than in the last one.

Tara Kavaler is a politics reporter at The Arizona Republic. She can be reached by email at tara.kavaler@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @kavalertara.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Republicans rip Biden for visiting Ukraine, not Ohio