Trump traveled to Ohio's train derailment site to draw attention to Biden's absence

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On Wednesday, the former President of the United States, Donald Trump, made his way to the site of a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, where he criticized President Joe Biden’s administration for what he believed was a lack of action in the wake of the railway disaster. Trump’s visit to the small town was aimed at highlighting what he saw as a contrast between himself and Biden, who had recently made a historic trip to Ukraine’s capital.

During his visit, Trump made a point of expressing his displeasure at Biden’s absence at the site and praised the efforts of the first responders and local officials who were on the ground in the immediate aftermath of the derailment. In addition to his remarks, Trump also took credit for the delivery of thousands of water bottles, some of which bore the “Trump” logo, to the area.

The derailment of the Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals has become a highly contentious political issue, with Republicans voicing their criticisms of the federal government’s slow response to the incident. Trump’s visit to the site has also focused renewed attention on his administration’s policies that supported the deregulation of the rail industry, including the 2015 Obama-era regulation that mandated trains carrying large volumes of flammable liquids to have advanced brakes and speed restrictions.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who announced his plans to visit the site of the derailment the day after Trump’s visit, has said that if people are going to find religion about rail regulation, he welcomes it. However, experts have pointed out that the regulations likely would not have impacted the derailment in East Palestine since the train did not meet the criteria laid out by the Obama-era regulation.

Despite this, Republicans have continued to criticize the federal government’s response to the disaster, with some conservative commentators suggesting that the slow pace was because residents in East Palestine are GOP voters. Additionally, Trump’s team has coordinated his visit with several officials on the ground, including East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway, a Republican.

Since Trump’s announcement of his trip, the EPA administrator changed his schedule and went to East Palestine, and FEMA provided federal help, which led some of Trump’s advisers to claim that they had accomplished a lot of what they had hoped for before even arriving at the site. The politics surrounding the derailment and the response to it are complex and continue to evolve as more information comes to light.