More than one year after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, Joe Biden finally traveled to the blue-collar town decimated by the disaster. But far from giving Biden some much-needed good PR, the visit turned into a disaster of its own for the embattled president.
On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train carrying vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, and other toxic chemicals crashed right in the heart of East Palestine, a town of about 5,000 on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Poisonous gases quickly filled the air and chemicals poured into local waterways.
It took both President Biden and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg days to even mention the catastrophe. Nearly a month later, on March 2, Biden said he would visit East Palestine “at some point” – after he had just returned from a trip halfway around the world to Ukraine.
On February 16, 2024, 378 days after the derailment, Biden finally made good on that vague promise. But if the president was expecting a warm welcome and gratitude from East Palestine residents, many of whom face concerns about long-term health impacts from the spill, he left sorely disappointed.
“If we were a blue state, Biden would’ve been here initially,” one East Palestine resident told The Washington Post. “But down here in blue-collar America, it seems that’s always the way it is – we’re forgotten.”
“After one year, we are still suffering, we are still living in a nightmare,” Edwin Wang, another resident of the town, told a local news station. Wang, a business owner, explained that Biden’s EPA had commandeered his property to use to reconstruct the crash site, shutting down his operations for over a year.
“A one-year interruption for us is fatal,” Wang said, explaining that Biden has done nothing to ensure that business owners are compensated for their losses.
“Biden visiting East Palestine at this point is pure politics,” Ohio Republican Senator J.D. Vance posted on X. “What is he actually going to do for the people on the ground? That’s what matters, not political stunts.”
“Too late, President Biden,” Ohio GOP Congressman Jim Jordan added. “Ohioans deserve better.”
In a video shared on X by Real America’s News reporter Ben Bergquam, East Palestine residents can be seen waving Trump flags as Biden’s motorcade rolls through the town. One man holds a sign which reads, “too little, too late.” Some can even be heard chanting “Let’s go Brandon” – the humorous chant that has come to be synonymous with opposition to Biden.
Notably, former President Donald Trump visited the site of the disaster just a few weeks after it occurred last year and called out Biden for failing to come. Trump also organized truckloads of supplies for East Palestine residents and bought lunch for first responders at a local McDonalds.
The visit clearly lifted the spirits of the town and may have even helped force the Biden administration to take some action to help residents. Shortly after Trump’s visit last year, East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway endorsed Trump for his 2024 bid, saying, “Once [Trump] showed up, stuff started to really get moving.”
In a series of posts on its “Trump War Room” account on Friday, the 2024 Trump campaign also slammed Biden for taking so long to visit East Palestine.
“Here are a few things Biden DID have time for while he was not visiting East Palestine,” one post reads, going on to cite stories showing that Biden spent 37 percent of 2023 on vacation, held a meeting with Chinese dictator Xi Jinping, sat down for a one-on-one meeting with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, hosted a “pride” event at the White House where other transgender influencers paraded around topless, and posted videos on TikTok about the Super Bowl – all before making the 229-mile trip to East Palestine.
The Trump campaign also noted that Biden denied Ohio’s request for disaster assistance, still a point of contention for many people affected by the derailment. Just prior to Biden’s visit, more than 200 East Palestine residents also signed a letter to Biden again requesting that the president issue a major disaster declaration to unlock more federal funds and assistance, saying that the administration has failed to live up to its promises.
Perhaps even worse for Biden, the 81-year-old president once again appeared lost and confused during his public events on Friday. While Conaway was giving remarks, Biden could be seen in the background fumbling through his jacket, and then struggled to finish his own remarks.
Biden also opened his speech with a bald-faced lie, claiming that his administration was “on the ground within hours” after the disaster and promising to “not [go] home no matter what until this job is done.”
With his poll numbers sinking and serious questions arising about his fitness for office, Biden seems desperate for any sort of opportunity to portray himself as presidential and a viable leader for the American people. But if that was his intention in Ohio last week, it was another dismal failure.
Shane Harris is a writer and political consultant from Southwest Ohio. You can follow him on Twitter @ShaneHarris513.
The fact is that Biden and his administration do not care one whit about anyone outside his immediate family as long as they can retain their political power. This visit was a lame attempt to improve his optics in an election year, but Biden could not really care less if that entire community died tomorrow from the toxic contamination.
Were these gleeful, photo-op marionettes paid and imported from other locales? I can’t believe anyone in East Palestine took the time to shake FJB’s hand, smile, and converse as though he’d not completely ignored them, the town, and their two requests for disaster relief funds, then listen and approve his blatant lies about how his administration was “on the ground within hours” after the disaster and promising to “not [go] home no matter what until this job is done.” Sickening and unconscionable yet de rigueur, if you will, for this illegitimate democrat cabal.
Once again, Biden proves that he has absolutely no shame, and treats the American people as if they are clueless fools — which is very ironic — since Biden is actually a clueless fool. My mind and heart still can’t fully understand that we now have a fake president of the United States who is promoting world order at the expense of the citizens he swore to protect. Biden is working for those people who desire to break our country into little pieces both domestically and internationally. He is the best friend that the Marxists and the anarchists could possibly wish for. He is a dream come true for those who want to destroy our Constitutional Republic and replace it with a third rate country full of ingrates and dysfunctional, vindictive clowns. Biden is doing all he can to destroy our way of life.
The photo in this article was not from East Palestine, Ohio on Friday, Feb 17, 2024. It was sunny, breezy and COLD. No one was in shirt sleeves. Biden came into town the back way ‘toured the site’ and gave a speech inside. He did not travel down Main Street where there were many spectators waiting to welcome him. He obviously wanted to get back to his vacation and not see all the Trump signs, flags and the little girl with the big sign saying “Don’t smell me”.
Only in election years Never near disaster area then anyplace
OK OH Vote RED big time
What a DUMBASS.
Ol’ mushy brains Biden, he and his pathetic, inept, illegitimate and treasonous administration are totally corrupt, they’re biased against this town because it’s right leaning … what’s the surprise? “Symbology without substance.” That’s the left.
I have been waiting for days to see pictures of the huge crowds of people supporting Biden and his visit. Anyone seen one that you can direct me to?
What a slap in the face to the citizens of East Palestine. A disaster(with health consequences) in our country and the POTUS shows up over a year later! I’m telling you folks, we have a lot if trouble already in this country with the lame and ruthless people in power. Time to run them out!
Yet they still found plenty of people to slob his knob.
This country is such a joke.
Now if we can only get Him and the Border Czar to visit the actual border, we can all celebrate.
In bidens world, America last!
Biden only went to East Palestine because he thought he was there to negotiate with Hamas for the October 7th hostages and propose a “two-state solution” for peace. Wrong “Palestine” Joe!
Looks like Joe doesn’t represent all Americans!
In the last three years this beautiful Country of ours is unrecognizable. What a disgusting show to these poor people in Palestine Ohio. President Trump risked his own health going there a few weeks after this disaster happened. With so much going on with this administration hell bent with destroying this Country, I can’t even imagine what the state of this Country will be in if Trump doesn’t get re – elected. I was going to quote a line from the movie ” In The Line Of Fire” from Clint Eastwood’s character to Renee Russo’s character, but I was concerned I would get in trouble with the Google police
Only one year after the disaster. How soon did joe rush to honor career criminal and drug addict, George Floyd?
The leftists have all proven they are first off stupid as they do not know history at all and they cannot learn from their failures. second they are all bigots. That was proven with their attacks on jewish people and their politicians constant weird voice inflections and speech patterns when talkign to blacks. then there is their bigoted”blacks can get voter ID” statement. It doesn’t get any more racist then that.
That bring us to Biden. Biden turned a successful economy not a disaster in three months. he outdid carter in economic screw up. obama could not get the economy out of the dull-drums of the housing crisis caused by the democrats forcing banks to give loans to unqualified minorities. Clinton would have screwed up the economy had the republican congress not kept him in check. Johnson and Kennedy kept the economy moving by constantly expanding the Vietnam war. A war Nixon ended (democrats hate Nixon).
The cold war was started by FDR and Truman screwing over Stalin. More democrat screw ups.
The fact is Biden is just he most obvious in a very long line of democrat failures and screw ups. yet you watch the leftists and they can not even admit things are screwed up. that is why america has issues. Leftists are so business lying about their party and beliefs they can not make rational decisions.
This visit was purely political. Only it backfired and what it confirmed Ole Joe lies and lies. They haven’t cleaned up nothing. The area is cleared of the train cars but the chemicals are still in the soil and the houses and in the people. I am so happy that nobody showed up. I think even the mayor should have stayed away. He is not the King or even if he was. If the mayor thought by meeting with him East Palestine would be receiving help, don’t count on it. Satan has no heart and no soul. And blows his nose during his statement like to say this is what I think of you all, but they made me come. People, this man and the rest of the dems in the House and Senate and all over the country have to go, will we ever live in the Country of the Free and the Home of the Brave.
Now, now, please go easy on President Biden. He’s been far too busy “governing” to be wasting time on insignificant insects, such as voters…. especially since he’s so confident in his public engagements….
took him long enough. I agree with whoever said Biden would have visited East Palestine already if they in were a blue state.
Sadly, President Trump was criticized after his immediate visit to Palestine, Ohio.1) He was there in person, 2) He supplied water and food, 3) His visit showed respect for the unfortunate tragedy and helped uplift the citizens who were and still are suffering from major illnesses and loss to business and property.
Please Joe, just die. Kyle L.
If there were any of Joe’s big donors in East Palestine, you can bet he would have been there before Trump but he and Buttigieg both disrespected, insulted and offended those people by simply ignoring them!!!! I doubt that you will get a single vote out of East Palestine since you have dissed them so badly!!! And again with the lies, Joe!!! If you can’t tell the truth, maybe you just shouldn’t talk!!! These people all know how long it took for your administration to have boots on the ground so why lie about it??? Now they know that you have been ignoring them for a long time and now that it’s an election year, you decide to come and visit – they are right, way too little, way too late, Joe!!!!! It’s funny the things that can actually get accomplished in an election year!!! But that’s always in the back of my mind – it’s an election year, expect things to suddenly get better!!! My memory isn’t what it used to be but when someone is messing with my bank accounts, then I get a little angry and the inflation has been horrid for me!!!!
No sense no shame.
Considering the amount of money Biden is sending to foreign countries, he should suggest buying out the town of Palestine, Ohio. The citizens there are suffering from about 15 different illnesses due to air and ground quality. Who will ever want to buy their homes and property? Allow the citizens to make that decision.
Too many railway disasters and burnings of food plants have occurred in the last four years. The crime rate is off the chart and Biden & his mentors think people are not aware. It is amazing that there is no goverment oversight that can stop the Illegals in the WH.
Enough little boy, you are just showing your ignorance.
He wouldn’t have gone there at all, but he got it confused with Palestine and went there intending to give support to Hamas. Oops! Wrong country Joey.
Shane hit the nail on the head, and the person that said too little to late is correct!! Biden should’ve boarded Air Force One when the crash occurred, AND offered assistance and supplies, instead he waits to go one year later during an Election Year to use the visit as a”campaign stop” and so he can say “I visited East Palestine.” Granted he visited East Palestine, However, the citizenship wasn’t impressed and one resident noted former President Trump was there and helped by buying lunch for the first responders while he was there. Biden didn’t help his bid for re-election by his actions or lack thereof.
This is disgraceful. The same effort to assist the residents of East Palestine should have been made as there is for hurricane ravaged cities. Immediate and intense support. If Ohio was a blue state it probably would have been immediate. (Former Ohio resident)
No! democrats are welcome in along with all the good people. We don’t discriminate against liars after all we have one as president.
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How long will people put up with this charraid>
I thought mayor Booty-gig had solved all those problems. Or did he go back on maternity leave?
Does your mommy know you are posting these ridiculous comments?
What was Joey’s handlers thinking. If Biden could not get there within a week, he should have put the incident in his rearview mirror, and left it along. He caused more damage than good for his image.
Joe Biden is the supposed representative of our country. Unfortunately, as all know, he is completely inept and can’t even tie his own shoes. We are being herded into our country failing at our expense. The residents of East Palestine,Ohio need to be cared for, represented and anything needed provided. Our administration should hold the company of the train, EPA accountable. They need help now and yesterday.
Come on America! king FJB just can’t remember if this happened yesterday or a year or two ago.It’s today’s news to him.
When Joe “bite me” Biden loses, America wins! He makes Jimmy Carter look like a genius.
A real difference between leaders. Proves Biden is not a leader. His economy tells me he had never balanced a check book!
why does he always have to lie??
why did biden bother? its been over a year?
Your silly comment just shows us even you can’t defend biden