By Pacific Island Times News Staff
President Joe Biden has concluded his tour of Asia, where he met with state leaders to reaffirm Washington's alliances in the Indo-Pacific region amid growing threats from China and North Korea.
The Republican Party of Guam, however, was baffled that Guam was not on the president's itinerary despite the island's key role in homeland security.
"It was unfortunate to learn that President Joe Biden elected to skip the traditional fuel stop in Guam after his official trip to Japan, and instead opted to head toward Anchorage, Alaska," the Republic Party said in a statement.
In a taunting tone, the Republicans asked if Gov. Leon Guerrero even sought a meeting with the president and noted that this was the second time local leaders were ignored.
"The first being when the nation’s first female Vice President Kamala Harris made a fuel stop in Guam and refused to meet the island’s first female governor," the statement said.
The Democratic Party of Guam laughed off the Republicans' statement.
"Lol. President Trump brought Gov. Calvo to a fuel stop. President Biden brought Gov. Leon Guerrero to the White House. The fact that the Republican Party of Guam wrote a five-paragraph press release about how the President refuels Air Force 1 is just sad," said Chirag M. Bhojwani, the Democratic Party's executive director.
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The Republican Party said the president's tour in the region would have provided an opportunity for Leon Guerrero to discuss issues critical to Guam.
"If the plans were to completely avoid Guam, why didn’t the president invite Gov. Leon Guerrero to Tokyo, Japan, as he did with India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese? It makes you wonder: is Guam not important for the Biden administration, or is the president avoiding Guam’s governor?"
Former Republican presidents met with Republican governors during the traditional fuel stops on Guam as part of regional tours.
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The Republican Party recalled that former President Donald Trump met with then Gov. Eddie Calvo during a fuel stop on Guam and discussed the North Korean crisis. Former President George W. Bush opened his doors for former Gov. Felix Camacho.
"Why is the White House ignoring Gov. Leon Guerrero, a fellow Democrat? Is there something brewing that we are not aware of?" the Republican Party asked.
The Republicans also noted that since Biden took office, Leon Guerrero has taken several trips to the nation’s capital and has yet to obtain a meeting with a single Cabinet member of the Biden administration.
"This latest debacle further questions their confidence in the leadership. As for President Biden himself, his actions today are a clear insult for the people of Guam," the statement said.
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