Ohio train derailment: Trump confirms visit to East Palestine, Ohio, says he will visit ‘Wednesday’

[ad_1]

Former President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will visit East Palestine, Ohio, next week, following a report on Friday that he would visit the town.

Trump said on social media that President Joe Biden and the Federal Emergency Management Agency would not send federal aid to East Palestine, but reversed course “as soon as I announced that I was going.” The initial Fox News report that Trump would visit East Palestine was published at 6:12 pm EST on Friday, where Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) about an hour later that FEMA will deploy federal resources to East Palestine.

OHIO TRAIN DERAILMENT: BIDEN ADMINISTRATION THREATS SANCTIONS FOR NORFOLK SOUTHERN

“Biden and FEMA said they would not send federal aid to East Palestine,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “As soon as I announced that Im going, he announced a team will go. I hope he is there too. This is good news because we got them to ‘move.’ The people of East Palestine need help. See you on Wednesday!”

FILE – Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina Statehouse, Jan. 28, 2023, in Columbia, SC (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Alex Brandon/AP

Trump’s confirmation of his visit came after the White House announced Friday that there were no plans for Biden to visit the village, where a deadly train derailment occurred on Feb. 3. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden’s immediate schedule is currently filled with his trip to Poland to mark the start of the war in Ukraine a year ago.

Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) visited East Palestine earlier this week and challenged Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan to drink the local tap water. In a video posted on social media, Vance visited a local East Palestine creek where he said there were “dead worms and dead fish” all over the water bed, calling it “disgusting ” and encourages viewers to “never forget” the residents of the village.

Visit a local creek in East Palestine today. These waterways are still very polluted. It’s time for Norfolk Southern to finish the cleanup. Check out this video: pic.twitter.com/4lsHBmrMJj

JD Vance (@JDVance1) February 16, 2023

The Biden administration announced Friday that the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will deploy a team of medical personnel and toxicologists to East Palestine “to conduct an examination and evaluation of public health” following the train wreck. Additionally, the response effort will rotate among EPA, the Department of Transportation, and FEMA.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

DeWine assured residents Friday that the railroad company Norfolk Southern will cover all costs for damage to the town and residents, including any future costs if it turns out the toxic chemicals can cause cancer someday.

“We’re gonna make them do it,” DeWine said in an interview with Fox & Friends. “The railroad created this problem, the people didn’t create this problem. They brought it to the community. It was their railroad that had such a massive destruction that it was traumatic for the people. We’re going to hold their feet to the fire, we will stay with them, they will do it.”

[ad_2]