Trump visits Ohio train derailment site, criticises Biden administration for poor handling

Former US President Donald Trump visited the site of a train derailment in Ohio and criticised Joe Biden’s administration for poorly handling the railway disaster 19 days ago, reported CNN. Trump's visit to Ohio comes after an increasingly pitched battle between Democrats and Republicans over whether the government has worked enough to help the residents of Ohio. However, Donald Trump has also taken credit for escalating the federal response in the town and said that the announcement of his visit “opened up the dam”.

Notably, Trump had planned to visit Ohio after current US President Joe Biden secretly visited Ukraine on February 20. In Ohio, the tragic incident of derailment of the Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals has become a political battleground. And many republicans have condemned the Biden administration for not responding to the massacre near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.

Trump's visit to Ohio train incident

Ohio has been the most conservative region of the deep-red state and has witnessed many hallmarks of a presidential visit. In the bid to contrast himself with Biden, Trump visited Little Beaver Creek on February 23, an Ohio River tributary near the derailment site. "I think it is 'terrible' that Biden has not yet visited the site of the February 3 derailment," said Trump during his visit to the Town. Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr. has shared pictures and videos of his father's visit on social media platforms. 

Taking to Twiiter, his son wrote, "LFG Joe!!! It shouldn’t take 3 weeks for our leaders to bother with their constituents. The people I met today in EP, Ohio are what America is all about. What they’ve done & gone through in the past 19 days is incredible & they keep going strong!"

LFG Joe!!! It shouldn’t take 3 weeks for our leaders to bother with their constituents. The people I met today in EP, Ohio are what America is all about. What they’ve done & gone through in the past 19 days is incredible & they keep going strong!pic.twitter.com/emFK0D0bQn

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 22, 2023

In a separate tweet, Trump Jr. wrote: "Trump is on the ground in Ohio forcing the federal govt to act. Joe Biden is in Ukraine spending your taxpayer dollars to make the military industrial complex rich & making corrupt Ukrainian officials richer, & transportation sect Mayor Pete can’t be bothered yet… 19 days later." 

Trump is on the ground in Ohio forcing the federal govt to act. Joe Biden is in Ukraine spending your taxpayer dollars to make the military industrial complex rich & making corrupt Ukrainian officials richer, & transportation sect Mayor Pete can’t be bothered yet… 19 days later. pic.twitter.com/iO4my2IKfC

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 22, 2023

In the video, Trump can be seen with a small group of officials, including Republican Sen. J.D. Vance, where he spoke to the first responders at a fire station. 

“You are not forgotten,” said Donald Trump. 

Notably, the trip to Ohio has come as the 2024 GOP presidential race has begun to take shape. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s announcement last week that it was deploying teams to the area should have come “two weeks earlier, or at least a week earlier”, as per claims made by the former US president.