Roughly a year after the massive train derailment, former President Trump shot down President Biden, his likely rival in the general election, over his visit to East Palestine, Ohio.
President Trump took to social media after the White House announced Wednesday that the president would travel to East Palestine next month to meet with residents affected by the Feb. 3, 2023, Norfolk Southern train derailment. In the post, he criticized Biden for “finally” visiting East Palestine.
“With the world exploding around us and the Middle East on fire, Biden has finally decided to visit East Palestine, Ohio, a year late. The whole thing was so bad that it was just to gain political credibility,” Trump wrote in Truth in Social magazine. post Wednesday morning.
“I know those great people, I was there when it mattered, and his welcome could not have been warmer. Worst president ever!”
Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, has long criticized Biden over the issue. He sought to draw a contrast with the president, who visited East Palestine weeks after last year’s derailment and denounced the administration’s response as “indifference and betrayal.”
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The White House has not released the exact dates for Biden’s planned visit to East Palestine. He vowed last March that he would visit the region “someday,” and his administration sent other top officials, including Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, shortly after the derailment. dispatched to the same area.
A train derails south of Norfolk, releasing toxic chemicals near East Palestine. The incident leaked vinyl chloride, a toxic chemical used in the production of plastics, and raised concerns about its impact on local health and the environment.
Even though Biden has not visited the site, just hours after the derailment, the White House touted the involvement of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Biden has vowed to hold Norfolk South accountable and help local communities recover. issued two Executive Orders related to this accident that focused on appointing a coordinator to lead the charge.
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