Residents and officials in eastern Ohio are expressing great frustration with the federal government for its lack of response to the disastrous train derailment in East Palestine. Neither Joe Biden nor his Transportation Secretary Pete Buttiegieg have set foot in the affected area. On top of this, FEMA assistance was initially been denied. The Mayor of East Palestine Trent Conway recently spoke about Biden visiting Ukraine and giving Zelensky billions of taxpayer dollars while his town is suffering, calling it the “biggest slap in the face.”
Conway stated in an interview with Fox News’ Jesse Watters, “That was the biggest slap in the face that tells you right now he doesn’t care about us. So a great he can send every agency he wants to. But I found that out this morning and one of the briefings that he was in the Ukraine given billions of dollars away to people over there and not to us and I’m furious Presidents Day and our country Presidents Day in our country east. He’s over Ukraine so that tells you what kind of guy he is.” See the video of the interview below.
"That was the biggest slap in the face. That tells you right now he doesn't care about us." — East Palestine, Ohio mayor Trent Conaway slams Biden for visiting Ukraine and giving them hundreds of millions of dollars while his town is suffering. pic.twitter.com/ja6IAkWb3i
— Catch Up (@CatchUpNetwork) February 21, 2023
The toxic freight train disaster that occurred nearly three weeks ago in East Palestine, Ohio has been called “one of the worst environmental disasters in the history of the USA”. The 150-car train that derailed near the town of East Palestine, Ohio was said to have at least 20 cars that contained potentially hazardous materials. One of the chemicals that was leaked into the surrounding environment was vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen where exposure can lead to a number of diseases.
Despite this, state officials in Ohio, such as Governor Mike Dewine and the Ohio Department of Agriculture, have assured residents that everything is safe and contamination is minimal. However, the residents of eastern Ohio are not buying this as they share endless anecdotes of sickness, animals dying, and visible chemicals in local streams.
While there is a lack of response from Joe Biden’s administration, Donald Trump has been on the ground in Ohio providing assistance and supplies to the residents of Eastern Ohio. In a famous photo opportunity, Trump was even seen buying everyone free food at a local McDonalds. The American Tribune reported:
Former president Donald Trump landed in East Palestine, Ohio earlier this week to deliver both supplies and positive reinforcements to a beleaguered community. It comes in stark contrast as Joe Biden and other administration officials have largely ignored the catastrophic consequences of a trail derailment and subsequent exposures to ground and air pollution.
Once alit, Trump immediately became the focus point of relief efforts. He could be seen handing out supplies, signing hats, and generally being an uplifting spirit and presence. He even found the local McDonald’s, where he offered to buy every police officer, fire fighter, and patron a free meal.
Coincidentally, Trump’s visit to Ohio has motivated the Biden administration and the federal government to provide more of a response to the area. After Trump announced he would visit East Palestine, FEMA finally approved aid for the state. The White House also announced it would be deploying a response team to monitor public health.
Note: Featured Image features screenshot from embedded video.
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