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President Joe Biden has said he was too busy to travel to eastern Palestine after the Ohio rail disaster amid growing criticism of the president’s ability to handle times of crisis.
Biden has spent the past two weeks reeling from criticism over his handling of the Maui wildfires, while on Saturday he was snubbed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during a visit after Hurricane Idalia.
Sunday will mark exactly seven months since the February 3 disaster. The commander-in-chief was expelled in February for waiting for his visit, and finally promised on March 2 that he would.
On Saturday, as he prepared to leave for his family compound in Delaware from Idalia-ravaged Florida, he was asked again why he hadn’t come to her, 166 days after promising to do so.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to go to Eastern Palestine. There’s a lot going on here, and I just couldn’t stop myself,” Biden said at a press conference.
President Joe Biden has said he’s too busy to visit the Eastern Palestine, Ohio rail disaster amid growing criticism of the president’s ability to handle moments of crisis.
He then tried to suggest that it had been on the 80-year-old’s mind lately, but he just couldn’t take the time and go beyond making travel arrangements to the global scale.
“I was wondering if I would go to eastern Palestine this week, but I remembered that I literally had to go around the world,” the president continued. “I go from Washington to India and Vietnam.”
He then admitted that there were no concrete plans to visit the GOP-run Ohio city in the near future.
“It will take time, but we are making sure that Eastern Palestine has what it needs materially to deal with its problems,” Biden added.
Republican Senator JD Vance, who represents the state, sarcastically responded to a video of Biden’s remarks.
“Do you like ski holidays and beach holidays? Yeah, you’ve been so busy,” he joked. In June, it was reported that Biden, the oldest president in American history, would be on course to take more vacations than any other commander in chief.
In fact, Biden spent 382 days of his 957-day presidency — or 40% — on personal overnight trips away from the White House, according to a report by the New York Post.
That surpasses George HW Bush, who has spent 36% of his presidency off duty, and Trump, who has spent 26% of his term in personal travel outside of Washington.
Sunday will mark exactly seven months since the February 3 disaster that shocked the world
A drone photo shows parts of a derailed Norfolk and Southern freight train
The commander-in-chief was expelled in February for waiting for a visit, and finally promised on March 2 that he would.
Ohio Senator JD Vance slammed Biden for taking a vacation during his visit to eastern Palestine
Vance spoke out just days ago, slamming the president for not yet planning a visit to the city.
“Joe Biden promised he would go to eastern Palestine. He broke that promise,” Vance said. “Joe Biden not only refused to go to eastern Palestine, but he also refused to give essential aid to reconstruction efforts.”
It is well known that Biden’s predecessor, former President Donald Trump, visited the city just 19 days after the derailment, where he called the victims “treason” by President Biden.
Biden did not travel to Maui for more than two weeks after devastating wildfires destroyed parts of the island and killed at least 115 people.
On February 3, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed and released large quantities of toxic chemicals into the air, water and ground, forcing evacuations as residents feared for their health. Some complained of headaches and other symptoms.
On February 16, Michael S. Regan, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, visited the site of the derailment to thank first responders for their work and assure that the EPA would have “boots on the ground” throughout the cleaning process.
Dozens of fish were killed, half of the 5,000 inhabitants of eastern Palestine were evacuated and some never returned for fear that drinking water was contaminated.
Norfolk Southern said in April that the derailment of a freight train that released millions of gallons of toxic chemicals in the small Ohio town could cost the company nearly $400 million in legal fees and in cleaning costs.
A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio following a controlled detonation from part of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains days after the derailment.
Regulators say Norfolk Southern has made improvements since a fiery derailment in Ohio, but is still far from the ‘benchmark for safety’
Several residents said urine tests revealed at least traces of vinyl chloride in their system, raising fears of possible long-term health issues, including an increased risk of cancer.
The State of Ohio sued the train operator in March, seeking compensation for damages to the state’s environment, economy and residents.
It is well known that Biden’s predecessor, former President Donald Trump, visited the city just 19 days after the derailment, where he called the victims “treason” by President Biden.
Trump stands next to a palette of his brand water in Eastern Palestine. He brought trucks with his own supplies when he visited the site of a toxic train derailment.
Several residents said urine tests revealed at least traces of vinyl chloride in their bodies, raising fears of possible long-term health issues, including an increased risk of cancer.
The railroad says tests show public drinking water is safe, although it is creating a fund for long-term drinking water protection.
It is also to create funds for health care and to help sellers if the value of their property drops due to the accident.
The State of Ohio sued the train operator in March, seeking compensation for damages to the state’s environment, economy and residents. The Department of Justice also filed a federal complaint.