Trump greets East Palestine residents after train derailment
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday visited the Ohio village trying to cope with a toxic train derailment that has frustrated East Palestine residents and local leaders about the federal government's response to their safety concerns.
Trump's first stop was at Little Beaver Creek, where he met with area officials before heading to a fire station roughly half a mile from the derailment site.
The trip comes as Trump and other Republicans have stepped up criticism of the Biden administration's handling of the Feb. 3 derailment, which led to evacuations and fears of contamination of the community's air and drinking water after a controlled burning of the toxic chemicals aboard the rail cars.
Trump has seized on Biden's decision to make a surprise visit to Ukraine this week when the president has yet to see the situation firsthand in East Palestine. Biden was traveling back from Poland on Wednesday after marking the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"You have people in Ohio that are desperate need of help," Trump said Monday during a Presidents Day appearance in Florida. "Those are great people and they were abandoned. But now I think they won't be abandoned any longer," he added in an interview the same day with Real America's Voice.
The trip offers an opportunity for Trump, who is running for the White House in 2024, to reprise the role he had as president, when he often surveyed disaster damage. Expected to be on hand were Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway and other state and local leaders. Trump was set to donate cleaning supplies and bottled water.
Almost three weeks after the derailment, the smell of chemicals that blanketed the village is mostly gone. Some residents close to the tracks say there's still an odor inside their homes.
Before Trump's arrival, excavators picked up charred chunks of the rail cars that have been piled alongside the tracks and scooped up contaminated soil. Trucks were hauling contaminated water to a makeshift "tank farm," where it is being stored in metal containers before being taken to a hazardous waste site.
The village of just under 5,000 residents is near the Pennsylvania state line in Columbiana County, which has grown increasingly Republican in recent years. Trump won nearly 72% of the vote in the 2020 election, and signs of his popularity remain clear.
At a car dealership in town, where bottled water was being distributed, a photo of Trump leaned against a barricade, reading, "A Hero Will Rise." Signs and flags around the village broadcast support both for Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate.
The Biden White House has defended its response to the derailment, saying officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, National Transportation Safety Board and other agencies were at the rural site within hours of the derailment. The White House says it has also offered federal assistance and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been coordinating with the state emergency operations center and other partners.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan visited the site last week and tried to reassure skeptical residents that the water was fit for drinking and the air safe to breathe.
"I'm asking they trust the government," Regan said. "I know that's hard. We know there's a lack of trust." Officials are "testing for everything that was on that train," he said.
Shortly before Trump arrived in Ohio, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced he would be there on Thursday after also facing criticism for not coming earlier. Buttigieg has said the government will try to revive a proposed rule dropped by Trump's administration that would have required upgraded, electronically controlled brakes on certain trains filled with flammable liquids that are designated "high-hazardous flammable trains." He also has urged Congress to raise the $225,455 limit on railroad safety fines at least tenfold.
Since the derailment, residents have complained about headaches, irritated eyes and other ailments. Thousands of fish have been found dead, and residents have talked about finding dying or sick pets and wildlife. Residents are also frustrated by what they say is incomplete and vague information about the lasting effects from the disaster and have demanded more transparency from Norfolk Southern, the railroad operator.
The gas that spilled and burned after the train derailment — vinyl chloride, a chemical used to make hard plastics — is associated with an increased risk of certain cancers.
Environmental officials say that they monitored for toxins in the air during the controlled burn and that continuing air monitoring — including testing inside nearly 400 homes — hasn't detected dangerous levels in the area since residents were allowed to return.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press.
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"You have people in Ohio that are desperate need of help," Trump said Monday during a Presidents Day appearance in Florida. "Those are great people and they were abandoned. But now I think they won't be abandoned any longer," he added in an interview the same day with Real America's Voice.
He is all they had 6 years ago.
As he left they chanted "Trump 2024."
probably more like trump 20-24 years...
Yup, let us investigate him for that too.
Shall we make Adam Schiff the special counsel?
difficult for trump supporters to respond to the facts presented, isn't it?
Nope. Onus is still on the rail company and their maintenance schedule or lack thereof. No regulation in the world is any good if it isn't followed and probably would have made little difference.
It is a narrative, not facts about what caused the derailment. Many things may have led to the derailment, trying to have Trump take all the blame is nothing but misinformation. Not a big surprise from the Lincoln project.
That district voted 74% Trump in 2020. This is what they voted for.
Let us know when you have some facts.
And look at that. It was Trump, not Biden who stepped up to help. Where was Biden and his whole administration? Oh, that's right, FEMA denied assistance claiming it "didn't qualify", Biden left the country, Buttigieg was off fighting "white construction workers"...
So voting for Trump allows Brandon to fuck them over after a derailment caused by NS negligence hauling hazardous chemicals on flatcars that weren't properly maintained?
Great argument for people not to vote for Democrats ever!
Always PD&D since that's all they have.
You first!
Dev always brings facts and truth.
It was your former 'president' who got rid of all regulations and who gets all the blame for this.
The NTSB seems to say otherwise in their preliminary report.
“It was Trump, not Biden who stepped up to help.”
And in just what tangible way? Perhaps diverting a small fraction of the funds raised for his wall, his reelection, his legal defense?
Kind of sad in a pathetic way that a private citizen looks more concerned than the sitting President does.
Priorities were weighed, Benefits versus loss were considered, and the photo op of going to Ukraine outweighed the needs of American citizens, Pretty simple calculus for this administration.
Well, to be fair, Joe also went to Poland to regale them with tales of his Polish upbringing. Wouldn't want anyone to think Joe was brought up by non-Polish Puerto Ricans, don't you know!
“Priorities were weighed, Benefits versus loss were considered…”
Indeed.
As tragic as the one time local incident in Ohio…the year long, global impact of Russian aggression in Ukraine is of greater import.
He made the right call, the only call, the difficult Presidential call.
One wonders just what his distractors would point to if not for the coincidental train derailment.
One would LIKE to think that Biden could, at the very least, send his guy in immediately.
I wonder why he didn't.
Maybe the folks on the ground having to deal with the results of the accident simply don't check enough boxes for the Biden Administration.
Lets start with just showing up and brining needed supplies. Unlike Biden who fled the country or FEMA who denied support.
Don't get you panties in a wad because the person you despise showed up the failure you support.
The continuing high rates of inflation? High gas and energy prices? Food costs? A border disaster?
There is plenty to choose from!
Flatcars? Sure. The informed has spoken.
WTF is that big fat loser former 'president' doing there?
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Buttigieg now says I'll be there first thing tomorrow!
Trump didn't even need to be in office to get the ball rolling!
“Trump didn't even need to be in office to get the ball rolling!”
…or rather ‘get the gall trolling”.
As if he gives a single fuck. The opportunistic optics will only be focused upon by the sadly myopic.
He did get the Beaver off his ass!
Apparently he gives more than the sitting POTUS who chose to go overseas than take a look and deal with his problems.
Some folks still cannot fathom or accept just how badly their guy has so thoroughly dropped the ball the last two years! Seems like all they can focus on is that D behind the name(s).
trump cares about trump and no one else
is his war against white construction workers over?
I don't know. I also still haven't read anything about Buttigieg fixing all of those "racist overpasses" he blathered about in 2022.
Could be. Here he is last night trying to flee a reporter. The reporter learned how hard it is to question someone who is running away from her.
Good, he can apologize in person for 86ing the safety regulations.
On axles???
MSM and Biden WH have deliberately conflated the axles/brakes/rails regulations with their fuzzy math and stats so they could blame Trump. SSDD
That was about the only thing they thought about. It was never about helping those people.
If that happened in DC, they would have been there with everything.
Or even other Democrat-run cities and towns. East Palestine is majority white and overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump.
Biden's trip to Ukraine and Poland before even mentioning E. Palestine cements his America Last Legacy.
No surprise a Kremlin press release said exactly that...
Link please.
No where in the entire article you linked does it mention Palestine, OH or Brandon's absolute failure to the people there.
Seems you care as little about the people of Palestine, OH as Brandon does.
Please supply link to above comment that you were responding to when you said "No surprise a Kremlin press release said exactly that..". Your link said nothing about E. Palestine being in the Russian press.
and 3.1.4 JBB
Thanks for your CNN link, but it doesn't mention anything about Biden blowing off E. Palestine, OHIO for nearly three weeks, which was what my comment's point was.
So CNN is the Kremlin press now?
It might as well be, since it's been the Democrat press for years.
I was thinking the same thing.
For what? Your perceived problems are all on Biden. Remember, Biden has been in office for 2 years. They had PLENTLY of time to correct any problems.
He sure has problems boarding the steps to Air Force One!
Indeed he does. At least he only fell going up the steps once this time.
Pothole "Transportation" Pete is nearly 3 weeks late. He said he was taking "some personal time" and couldn't go sooner. WOW.
This is hilarious. Trump embarrasses Biden and the left lose their minds.
Fuck Yeah! MAGA MAN! Trump 2024...
Now you have it, finally.
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He wasn't standing with them when he dumped the RR safety regulations.
Was Biden standing with them when he didn't institute new rules?
how many verses of the "biden should have changed trump's policy" song is there?
Always one more verse when compared to the "Biden isn't ever responsible for anything" sycophants shouting inanities.
And if one is truly informed, one already knows that Trump had zero to do with the crash.
Sycophants are seemingly never informed, though.
Hopefully he breathes deeply while he’s there.
So you don't believe the EPA assessment either.
You'd have to be a clueless moron to support such a clueless moron.
What were you just saying about insults?
As opposed to a clued moron?
The truth is the truth.
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That's true.
Gang up on you? Two simple questions constitutes ganging up on you?
Where?
Word is Trump threw the water bottles at the assembled residents and suggested they drink the cleaning products he brought.
He probably hired a bunch of illegal aliens to fill a ton of bottles straight out of the tap and put Trump Spring Water labels on half of them and Trump Detergent on the other half. And then stiffed the workers.
There are a shitload of illegal aliens to choose from with Brandon's wide open southern border.
I am sure Brandon would love to lace their water with Fentanyl. He has to do something with it. He has allowed enough of it in the country to kill everyone 20 times over; and that is with just the amount the BP and FDA have stopped at the border. Many times more than that has entered this country judging by all of the deaths.
Look, Brandon has set another record!
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meh, who gives a fuck what the kids of trumpsters spend their allowance on...
Just when I thought I had seen it all.
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It is.
Would you like for me to describe it so perhaps you can get just a little taste of it? I hear Trump will make an appearance if that sweetens the deal for ya!
Yet here you are responding to him. You can't make this stuff up.
You are just pissed off that Trump has done more for the people of Palestine, OH than the entire Brandon administration.
Notice the Pete is finally making his way over for a visit. Guess someone finally lit a fire under his ass now that Trump has been there.
Too bad Brandon was in Ukraine (he obviously cares more about them and their borders than he does US citizens and our borders) giving away even more taxpayer money to one of the most corrupt pro fascist governments on the planet. Maybe if Palestine, OH flies Ukraine flags from every house and business he will get off his ass and approve their federal disaster relief.
trump does nothing for anyone but trump
the trumpsters would probably attack, under orders from putin...
Tessylo's statement is demonstrably correct. Anyone who can put aside partisanship for a heartbeat and objectively view Trump knows Trump is a full-blown narcissist. It takes no great insight to see this most glaring attribute of Trump.
Substituting 'Biden' for 'Trump' in her words is not only a witless Pee-Wee-Herman-style retort, but it is yet another pathetic attempt to defend Trump no matter what.
And still trying to explain the most obvious of Trump facts to MAGA, you might as well be talking to a brick wall...
I have seeded probably a hundred articles illustrating why John Durham was doomed to fail to prove that the origins of the CIA and FBI investigations into Trump's secretive Russian dealings were not legally predicated and had not predated the 2016 Presidential election by years. Still I am called a liar and yet they deny deny deny and refuse to admit the obvious. That Trump got himself investigated by seeking out and meeting with and developing long term relationships with Russian secret agents and spies including Vlad Putin himself!
A hundred different authors from a hundred different sources is beyond the shadow of doubt a preponderance of evidence...
Yeah, he's known for being a humanitarian.
The folks here blaming Trump are simply ludicrous.
If Trump waved his little magic wand and 86'd all regulations, pray tell what the BIDEN Administration has done in installing new regulations?
Or will your personal hatred of all things Trump prevent you from seeing clearly and being honest with yourselves?
But you know they will continue to blame Trump even after reading the just released NTSB report that cites the issues involved, issues that had nothing to do with the braking systems.
That of course assumes they even bother to read the report, or that they can actually read.
That has been the standard MO for many here.
The actual facts never seem to matter if there is any opening at all to blame Trump for something happening on Biden's watch.
Aside from the fact that he doesn’t actually care about them, can’t do anything for them and wouldn’t even if he could, I hope they understand this is purely a political stunt.
Still, dumb for Biden not to have a senior member of the government there days and days ago, even if he wasn’t there himself. Bad optics.
Very dumb of Biden but seriously, who realistically expected more?
I actually am kinda surprised SOMEONE wasn’t there. Not that having a senior official on site helps anything, it never does and is almost always a distraction, but from a political standpoint… cmon Biden, that’s politics 101.
Neither does Brandon- he has proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
I call BS here. Prove that Trump would have denied them Federal Disaster relief funds and delayed FEMA aid.
I hope that Trump pulls even more political stunts for the people of Palestine, OH. Enough so Brandon is forced to get off his ass and grant the people the federal assistance they deserve. Considering his unqualified, check the box, EPA helped to cause this disaster by approve the "controlled release and burn off of hazardous chemicals". Then allowed the NS to bury the wreckage of the tanker cars and containers right there; and just lay new track over it. They need to provide proof there is no hazardous residue left in any of them that will seep into the ground water first rain Palestine, OH gets.
Just "bad optics"? So fucking up peoples' lives and denying access to government aid doesn't mean anything? Brandon has a far bigger problem than just "bad optics" his administration needs to be held accountable.
Remember when the left denounced Republicans for providing transportation to immigrants---called it a political stunt? Suddenly when a Democrat does the same it isn't a stunt any longer! It's like magic!
Okay, who the fuck is Brandon?
Second, Trump has proven throughout his life that he never does anything if he cannot benefit monetarily. His entire life is a montage of relentless greed and narcissism, and you wanna pretend that this would be the one time he would pull out all stops to help people when there is no direct gain for himself?
The truth is no matter who was president the people in that area would have received the same amount of assistance that they have, which is not insubstantial.
The government is there, they are working o. The issue. Of course the foot soldiers get no credit unless a big name is attached to it. The situation is being handled hopefully as well as it can be. Frankly the fewer big name assholes that show ip the better. Let the workers actually work.
Brandon refers to Biden.
I really thought you were keeping up.
Why? Maybe I just haven't been keeping up with fucking dumb shit often enough.
well the saying is about a year old now.
I thought you kept up with all the fucking dumb shit. My apologies for thinking you were better informed, I will try not to make the same mistake again.
Next time just give me your boyfriends name so I know who you are talking about. That will clear up a lot of confusion.
Don't you mean, "Trump grifts East Palestine residents after train derailment?"