Staff Reports
President Biden has been receiving a lot of backlash for his handling of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which led to a hazardous chemical spill. He has not yet visited the town in person, and instead, opted for a video call. Additionally, there is cause for concern as President Biden stated that he “does not remember” if he spoke with the mayor of East Palestine, Ohio, several weeks after the incident.
Biden said he had talked to "everyone" in East Palestine except GOP Mayor Trent Conaway, who greeted former President Donald Trump during a visit on Wednesday. https://t.co/kXTOgXn9O9
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) February 25, 2023
During an interview with ABC’s David Muir, President Biden was defensive and evaded the question when asked if he planned to visit East Palestine soon. He also dismissed Mayor Trent Conaway’s comment that he “doesn’t care” for the people of East Palestine. President Biden went on to state that the EPA arrived at the scene within two hours of the derailment and every major agency in the US government involved in rail or cleanup was present. Additionally, he claimed to have spoken “extensively” with everyone there is to talk to,” although he couldn’t recall if he had spoken with the mayor.
"So do you plan to travel [to East Palestine] and have you talked to the mayor?"
BIDEN: "I can't recall…I've talked to everyone there is to talk to" pic.twitter.com/kvVbtlmIKo
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 24, 2023
After nearly three weeks since the February 3 derailment in East Palestine, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, representing President Biden, finally visited the town on Thursday. The visit followed a day after former President Trump stopped by to offer his support. Buttigieg attributed the disaster to deregulation during the Trump administration. However, the National Transportation Safety Board has stated that implementing an Obama-era brake rule would not have averted the derailment.
President Biden has been prompt to assign fault for the train derailment incident and has held Norfolk Southern, the railway company involved, accountable. He expressed that “What happens there is the responsibility of the train company, which has made tens of billions of dollars in profits recently.” However, a preliminary report from the NTSB stated that an overheated wheel bearing caused the derailment and “there is no indication that the crew did anything wrong.”
President Biden’s aloof response to the disaster in East Palestine, Ohio has been met with much criticism from conservatives. His lack of action and unwillingness to visit the town have been seen as a sign of disrespect for those affected by the hazardous chemical spill. It is clear that Biden is more concerned with pandering to other countries than taking care of his own citizens. His decision to visit Ukraine last week instead of East Palestine speaks volumes about his priorities as president. It is also concerning that he can’t even recall if he has spoken with the mayor of East Palestine. This lack of communication between Biden and local leaders is unacceptable and shows a complete disregard for those affected by this disaster.
Source: Conservative Institute
