Former US President Donald Trump blasted the Biden administration for its “indifference and betrayal” in a widely-discussed speech delivered Wednesday in East Palestine, Ohio, as the current president was meeting Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev.
In a speech in which Biden’s absence loomed large, Trump assured residents of East Palestine that they “are not forgotten,” thanked first responders for “serving bravely in the line of duty,” and promised accountability for the public health catastrophe unfolding in their town.
But Trump reserved tougher words for those he holds responsible for the disaster, telling residents that “unfortunately, as you know, in too many cases your goodness and perseverance were met with indifference and betrayal,” noting that “Biden and FEMA said they would not send federal aid to East Palestine under any circumstances.”
The Biden administration repeatedly turned down requests for disaster relief in the aftermath of a so-called “controlled release” in which dozens of train cars filled with toxic chemicals were burned in open-air fires after derailing earlier this month.
On Friday, an official with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) claimed in comments given to Fox News that while “FEMA is on the frontlines when there is a hurricane or tornado… this situation is different,” and that “what East Palestine needs is much more expansive than what FEMA can provide.”
But just hours after Trump announced he would be visiting the town, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and FEMA issued a joint statement announcing federal emergency officials were being dispatched to the region after all.
Trump referenced the bizarre turn of events in his Wednesday speech, telling East Palestine residents: “I thought that was a strange statement [that] they were doing nothing for you,” and “were intending on doing nothing for you.”
“FEMA said specifically this doesn’t meet the criteria,” he noted, but “when I announced that I was coming they changed their tune.”
“It was an amazing phenomenon,” he added, and one which represented “a quick rapid change” from the federal government’s previous position.
Still, Biden has yet to commit to visiting ground zero himself. US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has faced widespread criticism for his handling of the disaster, has pledged to visit the town but refuses to say when he’ll do so. But that didn’t stop him from getting in a not-so-subtle dig at Trump nonetheless:
“There is a chance for everybody who has a public voice on this issue to demonstrate – whether they are interested in helping the people of East Palestine or using the people of East Palestine,” Buttigieg said in an interview with Politico published Wednesday.
Democrats have sought to portray the derailment as Trump’s responsibility, since his administration loosened regulations on railroad companies during his tenure. Following Trump’s visit, the Biden White House went as far as accusing Trump of “selling [East Palestine] out to rail industry lobbyists” and demanding the former president apologize.
But Trump told East Palestine residents Wednesday that “what this community needs now are not excuses… but answers and results.” He urged rail giant Norfolks Southern to “fulfill its responsibilities and obligations” to the town, and drew a clear connection between Biden’s absence and the huge quantities of taxpayer money being funneled to the Zelensky regime by the US government.
“I sincerely hope that when your representatives and all of the politicians – including Biden – [when] they get back from touring Ukraine, that he’s got some money left over,” Trump continued. “Cause now we’re at $117 billion, as you probably know.”
“If they don’t come back and give you the treatment you need, we will be back,” he pledged, concluding: “The Biden administration should ensure that every family has the option of moving, and homes, and everything else, until this thing is straightened out.”