On the third anniversary of the tragic 2023 East Palestine train derailment, President Trump posted on social media a statement of support for residents “betrayed and forgotten” by Biden, announcing a $10 million Economic Development Administration grant for economic recovery alongside the Administration’s long-term health study.
Following Trump’s leadership, Health Secretary RFK Jr. and NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya emphasized the new NIH research hub’s role in delivering independent, community-engaged science on long-term effects. Advocate Jami Wallace shared personal diagnoses and ongoing resident reports of cancers, thyroid, respiratory, and neurological issues, demanding accountability.
Reacting to the situation on social media, the president posted, “To the Great People of East Palestine, Ohio, who were disgracefully betrayed and forgotten about by Crooked Joe Biden — “TRUMP” has never forgotten about you, and never will!”
“In addition to our Administration’s Longterm Health Study for the benefit of the residents, we are providing $10 Million Dollars through the Economic Development Administration to help the Community continue its Economic Recovery from the disastrous train derailment,” he added.
Concluding his comments, President Trump reacted, “We want to see East Palestine grow, flourish, and be able to take advantage of our now BOOMING Economy. It was horrible what was allowed to happen there, and we are with you for the LONG HAUL. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Offering context, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. noted, “NIH’s research hub offers the people of East Palestine a pathway to clear answers about their health they deserve. Everyone affected by this environmental disaster deserves access to independent, gold-standard science that puts their well-being first.”
Likewise, NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said, “This research program is designed to bring rigorous, independent science directly to the community. By establishing a local presence, we can better engage residents, support enrollment in studies, and ensure the research reflects the real experiences and concerns of the people affected.”
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“I was diagnosed after the derailment with hypothyroidism. I’ve been diagnosed with asthma, I’ve been diagnosed with an adult chronic cough, I have a cyst on my right ovary that I have to have an operation on,” explained Jami Wallace, co-founder of the Chemically Impacted Communities Coalition.
Adding more context, she noted, “I get phone calls every day from people who are seeing cancers and thyroid disease, respiratory and neurological issues. You can’t tell me it’s not from those chemicals. I’ll fight Norfolk Southern, and I will fight my own government until we get accountability and we get justice.” —
Dr. Erin Haynes of the University of Kentucky described the terrible human cost, asserted, “Since the beginning, we have seen the public experience respiratory issues, we’ve seen and heard about rashes, nose bleeds in children, eczema, reproductive health questions and concerns, so now we have a team of about sixteen scientists on our team that can help answer those questions for the public.”
“We have learned that the community is experiencing health conditions from the derailment, and we want to be able to give them answers to know if it is a true direct association. A lot of things are unanswered, but this large-scale study that we now have funding to do will really help answer those questions,” the academic described.
Watch the mayor of East Palestine skewer Biden here: