Trump brings East Palestine thousands of bottles of his OWN water

Donald Trump told residents of East Palestine, Ohio, that they are victims of “betrayal” by President Biden and the federal government, saying his visit finally spurred them to action at a tour of the toxic train derailment site on Wednesday.

The former president greeted crowds angry at the White House’s inaction 19 days after the Ohio disaster, bringing truckloads of his own brand of water.

Trump praised the response from local law enforcement and the “strength and courage” of local residents, saying, “You are not forgotten.”

His visit coincided with the release of a Norfolk Southern statement saying it would take “full responsibility” for the derailment and detonation that sent plumes of black smoke into the sky.

The derailment of a 50-car freight train in East Palestine, Ohio on February 3 released toxic chemicals into the air, soil, and water, forcing the community to evacuate after experiencing symptoms such as aches and pains. upside down

Hundreds of people waving MAGA flags greeted Trump as he touched down in the Ohio community reeling from a toxic train derailment 19 days ago.

Crowds lined the streets with some chanting ‘no more Joe’ as they awaited the arrival of the former president.

He delivered supplies, including water, to residents during the visit along with Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, who led the backlash to the White House’s failure to respond to the disaster in the city of 4,700.

Trump also met with East Palestine Mayor Trent Conway, who said earlier this week that Biden’s secret trip to Ukraine was a “slap in the face” for his constituents.

Republicans are furious that Biden hasn’t visited Ohio, or at least hasn’t sent Pete Buttigieg to survey the damage and talk to local leaders about how the administration can help.

Buttigieg has said he will visit the site, along the Pennsylvania border and about 35 minutes from Pittsburgh, on Thursday.

He had claimed he did not want to visit just for a photo op, which he suggested Trump is doing.

On February 3, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed, releasing large amounts of toxic chemicals into the air, water, and soil, forcing residents to evacuate out of fear for their health. Some complained of headaches and other symptoms.

On February 16, Michael S. Regan, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, traveled to the derailment site to thank responders for their work and to ensure that EPA would have “boots on the ground” throughout the cleanup process.

‘We hear you. We see you. We’ll get to the bottom of this,’ she said. ‘All families need to know they are safe. All families deserve access to clean air and drinking water.’

Biden’s trip to Ukraine and Poland this week caused a stir among Republicans who demanded answers about why he went to the war-torn country before first tackling issues at home.

The president finally broke his silence on the derailment with a Twitter thread on Tuesday following his speech in Poland criticizing Russia and its president Vladimir Putin. He made five calls Tuesday night from Warsaw, Poland.

The president noted that he spoke with Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, Ohio Rep. Bill Johnson, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.

“I have reaffirmed my commitment to make sure they have everything they need,” Biden wrote in a thread posted on his official Twitter late Tuesday.

He noted that the EPA ordered Norfolk Southern, the owner and operator of the train, to fund cleanup efforts and removal of runoff and burning of hazardous materials.

This is common sense. This is her job. They should clean it up,” Biden wrote.

Biden also blamed the disaster on his predecessor, saying Trump implemented policies that made it difficult to strengthen and enforce rail safety.

“For years, elected officials, including the last administrator, have limited our ability to implement and strengthen rail safety measures,” Biden wrote. “Hell, a lot of the finger-pointing elected officials right now want to dismantle the EPA, the agency that makes sure this cleanup happens.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg suggested Tuesday that Trump’s trip to Ohio is just a photo op and said he would also make a visit to eastern Palestine after backlash for not already going to the community.

Biden has received a great deal of criticism for traveling to the Ukraine and Poland this week before visiting Ohio.

“I want affected residents to know that we stand behind them,” Biden insisted. “And as I told your rulers, you will have all the resources you need.”

However, East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway is not convinced that Biden is committed to helping his community; instead, he says that he is “furious” that Biden chose to visit the Ukraine this week before coming to Ohio.

Eastern Palestine is still reeling from the aftermath of the 50-car derailment, and Conway says Biden’s refusal to focus on internal affairs and instead parade in the war-torn Eastern European country was a “slap”.

Buttigieg, however, downplayed the need for an administration official to come survey the damage and visit the community affected by the toxic shock.

He also suggested that Trump’s trip to Ohio on Wednesday is just a photo op as part of his 2024 campaign.

Trump announced his third run for the White House on November 15. He hasn’t held many public events since he announced his candidacy during a rally at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.

Last month he visited the states of New Hampshire and South Carolina in the early days of the primary race for campaign events that were much more intimate than Trump’s usual mass rallies.

Biden’s team has repeatedly blamed Trump for the derailment and has refused to do much to get hands-on to address the problem as the public calls for a visit from the president to the community.

East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway (center) told Fox News this week that he is “furious.” President Joe Biden traveled to Ukraine before visiting the site of the Ohio train derailment, calling the move a “slap in the face.”

It is true that some policies were implemented during the Trump presidency that affected rail safety, including the withdrawal of an Obama-era proposal that required faster brakes on trains carrying highly flammable materials. It also ended regular rail safety audits.

“Our team is working in unison with state and local officials and was on the ground hours after the train derailed,” Biden said.

He said the EPA has already reviewed more than 500 homes in the area and is “monitoring air and water quality.”

The administration also deployed chemical assessment personnel from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) resources to East Palestine.

“The Department of Transportation has made it clear to the rail companies that their pattern of resistance to safety regulations has to change,” Biden wrote in his Twitter thread Tuesday night.

‘Congress should join us in implementing rail safety measures.’