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February 23, 2023

Trump visits East Palestine to deliver truckloads of relief material and comfort to affected residents

By Rajan Laad

It is said that for politicians, every occasion, from celebrations to tragedies, is a campaign opportunity.

During a celebration, they take credit for the joys of citizens while reminding them that prior to their election, the situation was dire.

During a tragedy, they put on a serious demeanor, dress casually, and ensure that videos and photos of them on location are circulated.

Most voters are driven by emotions.

Even if the negligence of the politician caused the tragedy, the sight of their leader rolling up his sleeves and interacting with victims is enough to overlook mistakes.  They remember a handshake or a hug or "inspiring" words and vote to re-elect.

It has been more than 20 days since the train derailment occurred in East Palestine, Ohio, which left toxic chemicals brewing in the water and air. 

Many are gripped by fear and anxiety despite assurances from government officials that the air and the water are safe.  Residents have reported headaches, nausea, burning eyes, and sore throats since the accident.

But the Biden administration doesn't seem to care even to feign compassion.  No top official from the federal government has visited the site thus far.

In fact, Biden flew away to Ukraine, where he was busy provoking World War 3, struggling to construct coherent sentences, and announcing an additional $500 million of taxpayer funds in aid to Ukraine.

Trent Conaway, the mayor of East Palestine, said that Biden's visit to Ukraine was the "biggest slap in the face" as his town continues to bear unspeakable hardships.

Biden's transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, seemed indifferent.  He attempted to suggest that the accident was nothing out of the ordinary.

He did a series of interviews where he attempted to claim that help was being provided.

Buttigieg's apathy was so blatant that even MSNBC held him accountable.

Clearly, Buttigieg must have been upset that his media lapdogs were squeaking at him.

Hence, when a Daily Caller reporter challenged him about his failures, he displayed passive-aggressiveness by refusing to answer and asking the reporter to refer to his earlier statements.

He claimed he was taking personal time — perhaps failing to realize that the victims do not have such a luxury, with the water and air around them severely polluted.

So infuriated was Buttigieg that he took a picture of his reporter, Jennie Taer.  Perhaps it will be sent to the FBI for action?  We will know in a few days.

Such unscripted and spontaneous interactions usually reveal the true colors of an individual.  Buttigieg doesn't care, and worse, he doesn't even care to hide his apathy.

The Biden administration peddled the claim that Buttigieg's failure to visit the affected site was altruistic, stating that he didn't want to "detract from the emergency response efforts."

It was utter chaos on the ground, made worse by the display of abject apathy by the Biden administration.

Perhaps Biden and Buttigieg feared being harmed by the chemicals in the air in the affected zone; hence, they looked away.

Perhaps it was because the Biden administration knew that the victims weren't their Democrat voter base and never will be.

They didn't even send Kamala Harris for a tour — which was probably a good move.  The victims have suffered enough; they must not be subjected to Harris's word salads or her poorly timed laughter.

But since this involves Democrat leadership, the media are also looking the other way.

Had this happened when a Republican was in charge, the media would have covered this story in detail, each and every resident would have been interviewed, and their plight would have been amplified.

A few days back, President Trump announced that he will be visiting the affected area.

This announcement was enough to make waves in D.C.

The Western Journal revealed that FEMA initially rejected Ohio's plea for help, yet hours after President Trump announced his visit to East Palestine, FEMA announced that it would be deploying a team to support the ongoing relief efforts.

Yesterday, Trump visited the affected areas.

Shortly before Trump arrived, Buttigieg announced that he would visit East Palestine on Thursday. 

Trump was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of local residents.  Many of the local residents were heard shouting, "Thank you for coming," "Thank you for not forgetting about us," and "We love you."

Upon hearing their chants, Trump went over to greet and shake hands with the people.

 

 

 

Trump delivered truckloads of bottled water and cleaning supplies to those in need and vowed to continue to provide food and cleaning supplies.

He told the residents: "You are not forgotten."

Next, Trump stopped by a local McDonald's and ordered meals for first responders such as the town police and fire brigade and residents of East Palestine, Ohio.

He caused laughter when he said he knows the menu better than anyone in the restaurant, including the employees.

Despite not being in government, Trump was paying for the relief material for the suffering residents.  This is commendable by any standards and a rare display.

Trump also had a message for Biden:

How did the media cover it?

Fox News and the N.Y. Post highlighted the fact that Trump had handed over "Trump Spring Water" to imply that Trump was promoting his brand following a disaster.

Far-left news organizations like the HuffPost, Salon, Newsweek, etc. also focused on branded water.

Many media houses claimed that the train derailment occurred because a rule on the electronic brakes was withdrawn in 2018 by the Trump administration.  Breitbart debunked that spurious claim, while Trump rejected it.

In the next few days, similar claims will be made where Trump is either blamed for the disaster or called insensitive during his visit.

They will probably sneer at the McDonald's snacks that Trump served, as they do for the habits and activities of the working class.

In a democracy, the media must deliver facts to the people.  But instead, they have become the P.R. wing for the Democrats.

Also, accountability from officials is essential for any civilized democracy.  Dereliction of duty must have consequences.  Buttigieg should have resigned or should have been sacked.  But that didn't happen, despite him being a repeat offender.

Perhaps a "deal" was struck between Buttigieg and the Democrat leadership for Buttigieg to withdraw from the presidential race in 2020 and clear the path for Biden. 

Trump also presented a clear contrast between how he would have handled the train derailment and hazardous chemical exposure and the Biden administration's slow and reluctant response to the disaster.

Trump said that he would have dispatched funds for relief work.  He also said he would have sent doctors to the affected location to care for and console the victims.

Trump's deep connection with regular people is what caused the MAGA movement.  That bond prevails, and the respect is mutual, which is why Trump doesn't have to engage in any virtue-signaling or disingenuous displays.

This was a display of leadership by President Trump.

Image: Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

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