As Twitchy noted earlier today, Biden is -- a year later -- finally going to East Palestine, OH, the site of a train derailment that left the small town in a state of upheaval.
For a long time, critics have called out the President for failing to visit, even though he'd promised to a while ago. He even went so far as to say there's 'a lot going on', so those poor folks in deep red Ohio will just have to wait.
And, just so we're clear, Trump made a visit to East Palestine back in February 2023.
At least someone gets it.
Meanwhile, the reaction to Biden's decision indicates it may not help him garner favor with voters. Quite the opposite, in fact.
We'll start with his presumptive challenger in the November election, former President Trump.
Trump knocks Biden for going to East Palestine one year after train derailment https://t.co/fmgZ1dXgzN pic.twitter.com/QXqQySk1Fl
— The Hill (@thehill) January 31, 2024
Former President Trump knocked President Biden, his likely general election rival, for going to East Palestine, Ohio, roughly one year after a major train derailment.
In a social media post, Trump hit Biden for “finally” visiting East Palestine after the White House announced Wednesday the president would travel there next month to meet with residents impacted by the Feb. 3, 2023, Norfolk Southern train derailment.
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Karine Jean-Pierre struggles to explain why Joe Biden has taken so long to visit East Palestine, Ohio.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 31, 2024
Biden has spent almost 130 days on vacation since the derailment. pic.twitter.com/9Pb0T58Kfo
This made is cringe.
While the shift for Trump in polling wouldn’t happen for another month I wrote in my reporter’s notebook that day if he is able to resurrect the magic of 2016, understanding the forgotten man, it started here, the day he showed up & Biden refused. https://t.co/7AOnQA74ql
— ZitoSalena (@ZitoSalena) January 24, 2024
The sleet and rain were unforgiving here on Feb. 22, 2023, the day former President Donald Trump came to this small Columbiana County village. Despite the weather and concerns about what was in the air or what kind of chemical was lurking in the pools of mud they were walking in, folks by the hundreds lined up along Main Street as Trump’s motorcade filled with state and local law enforcement sirened its way into town.
Men and women, young and old, children, teenagers, and a couple of dozen Amish families all waited in the icy rain along the designated route in anticipation of Trump showing up to their town, just under a month after a 38-car Norfolk Southern train dumped poisonous residue into the air. First, there had been the fiery derailment, whose immediate effects went on for two days, followed by a controlled burn that released hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air and water.
If you had lived within a mile from here, you had been evacuated two days after the derailment when a temperature change in one of the derailed train cars caused officials to fear a violent shrapnel-laced explosion with the potential of a mass catastrophe. They were also deeply concerned about one of the valves in a tank car carrying vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen, that they noticed had malfunctioned.
If you had visited here for weeks — as I had, reporting about the disaster — you understood, more than anything else, that the people here wanted to know that those in power would help them. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), just weeks post swearing-in, was here multiple times. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) also came. However, the person with the most power, President Joe Biden, had not come, nor would he ever.
Vance told me that Trump did a great service to the residents of East Palestine by forcing the political class to care about them.
People begged Biden to show up.
NEW: Amid pressure to visit, Biden to head to East Palestine, Ohio one year after train derailment.
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) January 31, 2024
While East Palestine residents were begging for help Biden took a surprise visit to Ukraine to deliver more funds and support. pic.twitter.com/5G2dbQQw65
Just heartbreaking.
Haven't the people in East Palestine suffered enough? First, the train derailment. Then Israel bombs them. And now, worst of all, Biden is going to visit. https://t.co/Gwn5L8rvcb
— Dr Strangetweet Or How I Learned To Love The RT (@lone_rides) January 31, 2024
We all knew people were going to go there.
Happy that Biden is FINALLY going to visit East Palestine. Sad that he thinks HAMAS lives there.
— Jimmy Failla (@jimmyfailla) January 31, 2024
Might be worth watching his remarks just to see if he does confuse the two.
A lot of people dunking on this, but I get it. His son died in that train crash. https://t.co/SnyzMXdPHS
— Jarvis (@jarvis_best) January 31, 2024
Or to see if he says someone he loved died in this crash.
Well, well, well... the Biden regime has announced that everyone's favorite worst president, & @JoeBiden will visit East Palestine, a year after the train derailment. When asked about this trip, Joe said he can't wait to see the Garza Strip up close! pic.twitter.com/ScYfjZoqF9
— Ron Milner (@RonMilnerBoodle) January 31, 2024
The jokes just write themselves.
But back to the criticism being heaped on Biden (and rightly so):
Biden visiting East Palestine at this point is pure politics. What is he actually going to do for the people on the ground? That’s what matters, not political stunts. https://t.co/oX1tEHtoZO
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) January 31, 2024
He's not going to do anything. He hasn't for a year. Why start now?
Joe Biden going to visit East Palestine, Ohio now is like giving condoms to a pregnant girl.
— Chris Stigall (@ChrisStigall) January 31, 2024
It kinda is.
Maybe if his Secretary of Transportation was more concerned about infrastructure and doing his job than racist roads and DEI at the FAA, things would be different.
Joe Biden is finally getting around to going to East Palestine, Ohio but only because it’s an election year.
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) January 31, 2024
If Biden actually cared, he would have gone in the immediate aftermath. https://t.co/ePUgUTzzmF
It wasn't politically advantageous last year.
Who else expects Biden to be resoundingly heckled when he goes to East Palestine? Honestly I have no idea why he's going a year later.
— Styxhexenhammer666 (@Styx666Official) January 31, 2024
This writer has it on good authority from an Ohio friend that Biden is very unpopular in that part of Ohio. Should go swimmingly for him.
WH press sec on whether Biden will drink the water when he visits East Palestine, Ohio:
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) January 31, 2024
"I'm not going to get into some sort of political stunts about drinking water." pic.twitter.com/zHSojhf1zH
Oh, now they're worried about political stunts.
Too little, too late. https://t.co/2Fr1GCr92j
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) January 31, 2024
Yes, it is.
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