White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has refused to say if Biden will ever actually go and visit East Palestine.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Jean-Pierre was asked to clarify why the former Vice President had decided not to visit the Ohio town, after the massive chemical spill relating from a train derailment in February. Instead of travelling to Ohio, Biden went to Ukraine and Poland, something the town’s mayor said was a “slap in the face.”
Jean-Pierre dodged the question, and tried to highlight that the EPA was allegedly on the ground “within hours… taking charge, and dealing with what was occurring in East Palestine.” She added that “very early on,” Biden had “reached out to both governors of Pennsylvania and Ohio… [and] offered the federal assistance and also directed his team to stay on top of this as long as it took.”
However, crucial federal government support, such as assistance from FEMA, was not directed to residents early on, with FEMA only turning up to the Ohio town after 45th President Trump announced he would make a visit.
Despite travelling to Eastern Europe, Biden was still “working and getting updates and focusing on what was happening in East Palestine while he was doing incredibly important work in Poland, and he reaffirmed his commitment to make sure they have everything that they need,” Jean-Pierre argued.
Reporter: "Why has [Biden] so far decided not to visit" East Palestine?
Jean-Pierre: "He offered federal assistance and directed his team to stay on top of this … he's been getting briefed pretty regularly." pic.twitter.com/zQMFwXtRnP
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) February 23, 2023
When Jean-Pierre was finally asked point blank as to whether Biden would ever actually go to East Palestine, she confirmed that she did not have “anything to read out or announce on a travel to Ohio” at this time.
Reporter: "Is the president going to go to Ohio?"
Jean-Pierre: "At this time, I don't have anything to read out or announce on a travel to Ohio." pic.twitter.com/i08sa5IYZl
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) February 23, 2023
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who finally turned up to East Palestine on Thursday, one day after Trump came to the town, bringing supplies, including food and water, actually did express regret that he didn’t get on top of the emergency as early as he would have liked.
One reporter noted that Buttigieg only expressed concern for the residents of East Palestine a week and a half after the disaster, despite taking the time to complain that there were too many white people working in construction jobs.
“I felt very strongly about this and could have expressed that sooner,” Buttigieg said. “I was taking pains to respect the role that I have and the role that I don’t have, but that should not have stopped me from weighing in about what I felt about what was happening with this community.”
Reporter: "You sent your first tweet expressing concern for the residents of East Palestine a week and a half after the accident happened. Was that waiting too long?"
Buttigieg: "The answer to your question is yes. I felt strongly about this and could have expressed that sooner" pic.twitter.com/8lc0hIctNg
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 23, 2023
During his tour of East Palestine on Wednesday, Trump taunted Biden over his failure to turn up to the town, telling him to “get over here.”
Doug Litchfield
February 24, 2023 at 3:59 pm
He would think he is in the mid east somewhere. Would that be one hump or two?
Karen is a Liar !
February 27, 2023 at 2:38 pm
How many Reach Arounds do you think Old Joe got from Karen ??!!
Gerald Ladd
February 24, 2023 at 4:11 pm
I’m sure they don’t care. They got help from a real man. Donald J. Trump
Dave C
February 24, 2023 at 4:38 pm
Biden is a chicken hawk – a puss.
Nicholas
February 24, 2023 at 4:54 pm
Anyone surprised by this?
Crotte
February 24, 2023 at 5:53 pm
Never has he ever fulfilled the oath of office!!!!! FACT
Whoopie Jemima
February 24, 2023 at 6:46 pm
SLO JOE cant’ find his way to the bathroom yet alone Ohio.
Now, if he wants to gift billions of our hard earned tax dollars to the Ukrainian bar dancer……………………….
CharlieSeattle
February 24, 2023 at 6:58 pm
yawn, ………..Fait Accompli
Gidge
February 24, 2023 at 7:43 pm
How can he, he is tired from falling up and down stairs of is plane. He is in Delaware for a 3 or more day vacation, he is tired and needs sleep. He can’t go anywhere except for an Ice Cream cone.
alan1
February 24, 2023 at 10:04 pm
Voter fraud matters…
William
February 24, 2023 at 10:11 pm
Let’s Go Brandon
Mountain man
February 25, 2023 at 5:42 am
Be glad he isn’t coming at least the little kids will be safe from this imposter pervert and if he loads those britches with poop all he will do is contribute to the contaminated air and water..these are nasty people..I hope such scum never visits my town
Nicholas
February 25, 2023 at 5:59 am
We can send troops to Taiwan but not to OUR borders. Had enough yet?
Mark
February 25, 2023 at 7:15 am
This just goes to show how disconnected and unconcerned the President and his administration truly are. Biden is afraid to go as he is a very weak President, and his total control is dictated by the CCP through his son Hunter. America it is time for us to take our country back. The Democrats have done enough damage to our country, so rise up America and vote out the weaklings and put strong government back in power. I am not advocating Trump for President, what I am saying is that we have seen what the Democrats have done, high gas prices, no new drilling, the new green deal which they have finally said cant happen for decades, the depletion of our petroleum reserves, inflation and high prices on just about everything, very low employment, even though they keep telling us it is the highest it has ever been but we all know under President Trump a republican, employment was the highest it has ever been under any president. I can go on and on, but you all know what a disaster this President (Biden) has been, and it was the same under Obama, that is why America decided to vote in a Republican President. In summary, I am only saying pick out a strong Republican President and put the Senate and House in Republican control and lets get this country back to where it should be, number one. Look at it this way, Biden attempted to run when he was a lot younger, and he was handily defeated because the American people saw the type person he was even then, Weak and not concerned about this country.
William
February 25, 2023 at 10:05 am
Don’t believe any thing this mop-head is telling you. Biden does not care one bit about these people in Ohio. He gets no 10% from them so they don’t matter. If the EPA would have been there that fast there would been NO controlled burn of these chemicals if they knew what they was doing. People should demand that boy toy mayor pete should resign or face charges. The only thing that I see was wrong that the cops were protecting his sorry azz. I would let the crowd loose on him, he would have deserved everything he got. And FEMA is the biggest joke there was, they can build camps for illegals but can’t help out our own citizens. They need to be abolished.
Jack Tripper
February 25, 2023 at 11:45 am
Isn’t this the administration who says that our biggest threat to mankind is Climate Change and the Environment. Yet when these toxic chemicals spilled and soaked into the ground, contaminated the water supply, and sent plooms of toxic smoke into the air, they were nowhere to be found. Well Shazaam! You would think that maybe they really don’t care about the environment.
Drosack
February 27, 2023 at 9:47 am
AAAAHHHhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaahhhhahahahahahahahahah
Crotte
February 27, 2023 at 10:26 am
Put those 2 together and you still get ZERO!
CPO Bill
February 27, 2023 at 3:36 pm
It would interfere with his warm milk and nap time!