Exactly one year after the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals devastated a nearby town, a date has finally been set for President Joe Biden’s visit to East Palestine.
The White House announced Biden’s visit late last month, but after declining to confirm a final date, issued a recommendation on Friday for Biden to arrive this Friday.
Biden said in a statement that he wants to ensure state and local officials “hold Norfolk South accountable.”
[T]The president will visit East Palestine, Ohio, to hold Southern Norfolk accountable and discuss how the administration continues to work with state and local officials to help move communities forward.
The President spoke about his determination to ensure that the people of East Palestine are not defined by this single event and that his administration is responsive to the needs of families, businesses, and affected populations. We are planning to discuss it.
Biden was heavily criticized at the time for not making a single visit in the weeks and months following the February 3, 2023, disaster.
Flashback: John Roarke — East Palestinians still need help as Biden ignores them
Jack Knudsen/Breitbart News
On February 8, residents were finally given permission to return to their homes, but toxic PVC gas was released and burned, sending black smoke over the town for days.
After returning home, they were greeted by former President Donald Trump, who visited the scene after the accident and delivered truckloads of bottled water to residents.
“President Trump has met with the people of East Palestine and will never forget them and what they are going through. Compare that to Biden and the federal government, which failed from the beginning,” Trump’s spokesperson said. Stephen Chan told Breitbart News at the time.
Flashback: Class act — Donald Trump visits McDonald’s in East Palestine with Americans, fact-checkers outraged
Alana Mastrangelo / Breitbart News
As Breitbart reported, by September of last year, Biden had promised to go to East Palestine in March after a train derailment released toxic chemicals and polluted the village’s air and water. He claimed that he had “never had the opportunity” to go to East Palestine. The news reported.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was previously asked whether Biden still had plans to visit East Palestine. “The president will visit when it is most beneficial to the community,” she told reporters.
As Breitbart News’ Sean Moran reported, Biden flew directly over East Palestine last August on his way to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for an event promoting his Bidenomics economic agenda. .
Some residents felt forgotten as time went on, and Biden’s absence became more pronounced as they watched the president rush to the scene of other disasters, including wildfires in Maui, Hawaii and hurricanes in Florida. He said it became.
