Trump: East Palestine's 'Perseverance' Was 'Met With Indifference, Betrayal'

Former President Donald Trump visited with the residents and local leaders in East Palestine, Ohio, on Wednesday saying "loud and clear: You are not forgotten; we stand with you."

The area has been dealing with the toxic fallout of the Norfolk Southern train derailment and subsequent "controlled release" to burn off toxic chemicals, which residents say have left the air, ground, and water polluted.

"This is really America right here; we're standing in America," Trump said at a news conference, which aired live on Newsmax. "Unfortunately, as you know, in too many cases, your goodness and perseverance were met with indifference — and betrayal in some cases.

"Biden and FEMA said they would not send federal aid to East Palestine under any circumstance. They are not going to send aid. I thought that was a strange statement because I've been working with FEMA for a long time — four years — and they were great with us with the tornadoes or hurricanes and things like this.

"And it was a strange statement to come out and they were doing nothing for you. They were intending to do absolutely nothing for you."

Trump thanked Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, for putting pressure on the Biden administration to come around on ignoring the toxic fallout from the controlled release.

"J.D. and I spoke, and they said they're not coming; they're not going to come," Trump continued. "And I said that's very strange. FEMA said, specifically, this doesn't meet the criteria. And that's horrible. And somebody has to do something for those people."

Trump has already taken credit for making his announcement to come to East Palestine and adding "we got them to move."

"I said back when I announced that I was coming, they changed their tune," Trump said. "It was an amazing phenomena. The mayor and I were discussing that. It was quite amazing what happened. And they said that, 'We can't let this happen!'

"That was a big change of face, J.D., you ever see a change like that one?"

Trump's first stop was at Little Beaver Creek, where he met with area officials before heading to a fire station roughly half a mile from the derailment site.

The trip comes as Trump and other Republicans have stepped up criticism of the Biden administration’s handling of the Feb. 3 derailment, which led to evacuations and fears of contamination of the community's air and drinking water after a controlled burning of the toxic chemicals aboard the rail cars.

Trump has seized on Biden's decision to make a surprise visit to Ukraine this week when the president has yet to see the situation firsthand in East Palestine. Biden was traveling back from Poland on Wednesday after marking the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Almost three weeks after the derailment, the smell of chemicals that blanketed the village is mostly gone, according to The Associated Press. Some residents close to the tracks say there is still an odor inside their homes.

Before Trump's arrival, excavators picked up charred chunks of the rail cars that have been piled alongside the tracks and scooped up contaminated soil. Trucks were hauling contaminated water to a makeshift "tank farm," where it is being stored in metal containers before being taken to a hazardous waste site.

The village of just under 5,000 residents is near the Pennsylvania state line in Columbiana County, which has grown increasingly Republican in recent years. Trump won nearly 72% of the vote in the 2020 election, and signs of his popularity remain clear.

At a car dealership in town, where bottled water was being distributed, a photo of Trump leaned against a barricade, reading, "A Hero Will Rise." Signs and flags around the village broadcast support both for Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate.

The Biden White House has defended its response to the derailment, saying officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, National Transportation Safety Board, and other agencies were at the rural site within hours of the derailment. The White House says it has also offered federal assistance and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been coordinating with the state emergency operations center and other partners.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan visited the site last week and tried to reassure skeptical residents the water was fit for drinking and the air safe to breathe.

"I'm asking they trust the government," Regan said. "I know that's hard. We know there's a lack of trust."

Officials are "testing for everything that was on that train," he said.

Shortly before Trump arrived in Ohio, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced he would be there Thursday after also facing criticism for not coming earlier.

Since the derailment, residents have complained about headaches, irritated eyes, and other ailments. Thousands of fish have been found dead, and residents have talked about finding dying or sick pets and wildlife.

Residents are also frustrated by what they say is incomplete and vague information about the lasting effects from the disaster and have demanded more transparency from Norfolk Southern, the railroad operator.

The gas that spilled and burned after the train derailment — vinyl chloride, a chemical used to make hard plastics — is associated with an increased risk of certain cancers.

Environmental officials say they monitored for toxins in the air during the controlled burn and that continuing air monitoring — including testing inside nearly 400 homes — has not detected dangerous levels in the area since residents were allowed to return.

"What this community needs now are not excuses and all of the other things you've been hearing, but answers and results, and that's what I think you're going to see," Trump added. "Norfolk Southern needs to fulfill its responsibilities and obligations. And I see that they're starting to come here now, too, because they also were saying they're not coming.

"But it means that the affected communities beyond the borders of East Palestine are going to be taken care of, and they've said so, and they've said it loud and clear, and I think they probably mean it."

Trump vowed to "come back if necessary, if they don't come back and give you the treatment that you need, we will be back."

Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.