Joe Biden has finally gone to East Palestine, OH. This is a full year since the train derailment caused a major chemical spill that impacted the poor community.
The Appalachian Senators JD Vance (R-OH) and John Fetterman (D-PA) joined forces to hold the train company accountable, but there has been no significant progress since. President Trump ABC News reports:
President Joe Biden visited East Palestine, Ohio, on Friday to mark one year since a train derailment spilled hazardous materials and toxins into the environment that forced many residents out of their homes.
Biden was briefed by officials and gave remarks on the need to hold Norfolk Southern, the railroad operating the freight train, accountable for the Feb. 3, 2023, spill.
The tragedy of East Palestine became a symbol for the many ills affecting Middle America. Communities are ravaged by fentanyl, smuggled in from China through the unsecured Southern Border. Deindustrualization and offshoring, a key neoliberal policy since the 1990s, is what propelled Donald Trump to the White House in 2016. News Nation Now says:
Some East Palestine residents who watched Biden’s visit live on TV told NewsNation’s Rich McHugh the photo-op of the president drinking the tap water was “performative” and “disgusting,” calling it the “final nail in the coffin.”
Prior to his visit, the town’s residents detailed key recommendations for Biden, explaining why they need federal assistance and urging him to issue a disaster declaration. The letter also recommended Biden provide support relocating residents, conduct indoor testing and create long-term health monitoring.
Donald Trump already visited East Palestine within a week of the incident, realizing that the people there had been abandoned by the Federal Government. Biden ignoring the community for a full year is part of the Democrat Party’s shift away from Middle America and towards the Urban poor and white collar suburbanites.
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