Zelensky Visits Pennsylvania Factory

By
Rachel Stevenson
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Well, folks, here we go again. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s latest pit stop in the U.S. happened to land him in Pennsylvania—specifically, in Scranton, of all places. Yes, that’s the swing state we’ve all been talking about for the next election. And surprise, surprise, Zelensky didn’t just quietly visit. Oh no, he made a grand appearance with Pennsylvania Democrats, shaking hands and rubbing elbows with the likes of Senator Bob Casey and Congressman Matt Cartwright. You don’t need a crystal ball to see where this is headed—cue the accusations of election interference.

The man was barely off the tarmac before Twitter, excuse me, “X,” exploded. Zelensky has already been taking some heat after his comments in New York Magazine, where he took swipes at former President Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance. You’d think a guy in the middle of a war would have his hands full, but apparently, he’s got plenty of time to weigh in on U.S. politics. His take on Trump? Basically, Trump doesn’t know how to end the war in Ukraine, even though the former president has said he’d have it sorted in 24 hours. Zelensky wasn’t too kind to Vance either, calling his perspective “too radical” for daring to suggest Ukraine might need to give up some territory to stop the fighting.

And just like that, Zelensky found himself at an American ammunition factory in Scranton, looking like a political guest of honor for the Democratic Party. It’s one thing for him to express gratitude to the workers making the 155 mm shells that Ukraine is using. But why a swing state, and why now? Byron York from The Washington Examiner was quick to call it out, saying this looks a lot like election interference. And he’s not wrong, is he? Let’s face it, Pennsylvania could make or break 2024, and Zelensky just handed the Democrats a photo op on a silver platter.

But it doesn’t stop there. Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of Palantir, jumped into the fray, accusing the Biden administration of literally flying Zelensky in to campaign for them. When you start using military assets to get a foreign leader to show up in battleground states, you have to wonder just how desperate things are getting on the left. Lonsdale nailed it when he said, “PA voters aren’t dumb, this will backfire hard.” And honestly, it’s not hard to see why.

The voters in Pennsylvania and beyond can smell what’s going on here. Zelensky’s comments trashing Trump and Vance, followed by a very public appearance with Democrats in a key swing state? That doesn’t just happen by accident. This is political theater, plain and simple, and it’s using Ukraine’s war as the backdrop.

Sure, Zelensky had some bold words for JD Vance, implying that his ideas could kick off a global war if the U.S. doesn’t keep backing Ukraine. But let’s cut through the noise here. He’s clearly more interested in securing continued American support—financial, military, and otherwise—than staying neutral on the U.S. political front. And the Democrats are all too eager to make him the poster boy for their foreign policy. Just don’t expect Pennsylvania voters to fall for it.

Ultimately, the optics on this one aren’t great for Zelensky or the Democrats. Using a foreign leader to play politics in a battleground state? It’s a risky move and one that could easily backfire as voters see through the charade. Stay tuned because this show is far from over.

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