On Wednesday afternoon, former President Donald Trump visited East Palestine, Ohio, and slammed President Joseph Biden for ignoring the community’s needs in the wake of the recent train crash and toxic fallout.
For fear of an explosion that would have spread shrapnel throughout the small town, local and state authorities evacuated everyone within a mile of the derailment and began a controlled burn of industrial chemicals on the vehicle. Massive plumes of black smoke, containing vinyl chloride, a human carcinogen used in PVC production, erupted from five railway carriages and could be seen from afar throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) toured the city and conducted a press conference with local authorities, during which Trump insulted his successor.
The former leader told locals that he hoped Biden had some extra cash after his secret visit to the war-torn country on Monday, referencing the visit of the politicians and representatives who represent them. The Biden administration should guarantee that everyone can relocate their homes and belongings until the situation is resolved.
Thus far, the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit East Palestine is Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, who postponed a climate change trip to Africa he was slated to head with celebrity couple Idris and Sabrina Elba to deal with the aftermath. Former presidential candidate and current Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has been plagued by a variety of infrastructure problems throughout his time in office, but he has failed to visit the small town or publicly address the disaster more than a week after it first unfolded. On Monday, Buttigieg said he will travel to East Palestine “when the time is appropriate.”
Although he assured Ohio Governor Michael DeWine (R) that the federal government would give whatever assistance was needed, President Biden has not yet visited the area. In an interview with Fox News, Trent Conaway, mayor of East Palestine, referred to the trip to Ukraine as a “slap in the face.”
For waiting to send disaster aid to East Palestine until after Trump announced his visit, the president lashed out at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
They planned on doing “nothing at all” for the community, he informed them. They could have been here a week earlier, if not two, but for some reason (probably at the top) they chose to do it this way.
While in East Palestine, Trump did more than just criticize President Joe Biden, who is widely anticipated to run for re-election but has not yet formally confirmed his candidacy. He also provided hundreds of liters of cleaning supplies, thousands of bottles of water, and other items. Before departing town, he made a pit stop at a McDonald’s, where he fed a big throng with his own money and distributed MAGA caps to the people who came out to see him.
Trump lauded local law enforcement and assured the people that the United States will help them in their recovery efforts. In a resounding voice, “you are not forgotten,” he assured the residents of East Palestine and the surrounding areas of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Said simply, “We are here for you, we are praying for you, and we are not going anywhere.”
Trump is kicking off his third run for president with a trip to East Palestine. Biden has come under fire from other prospective Republican presidential candidates for his alleged disregard for East Palestine during his visit to Ukraine. In an interview with Fox News, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized the administration’s response to the invasion, saying, “we have a lot of problems building here in our nation that he is overlooking.”