‘We Will Not Forget You’: Vice President JD Vance Visits East Palestine

The Trump administration is making sure that the people of East Palestine, Ohio, are not forgotten, with Vice President JD Vance visiting the area on the two year anniversary of a toxic train derailment.

Vance was not alone, joined by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, as well as U.S. Sens. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and Jon Husted (R-OH), newly-confirmed Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, and Vivek Ramaswamy.

“As a lot of you know, one of the first real crises that we confronted when I was United States senator for the great state of Ohio was the train derailment in East Palestine,” Vance said during a press conference in East Palestine on Monday.

“And there are a few reasons why I want to come back, of course, on the second anniversary of the disaster. I think the first is just a signal to the people here in East Palestine that we will not forget you.  I talked to the President about this visit a couple of days ago. The President loves this community, of course, he visited himself personally, ” he said, adding that “President Trump just wanted to deliver a message that this community will not be forgotten, will not be left behind.”

“And we are in it for the long haul in East Palestinian,” Vance continued. 

He said that the cleanup will continue, and the long term economic development of the community is a priority for the Trump administration.

“We are committed, not just to finishing the environmental side of the cleanup but hopefully seeing East Palestine build back better and stronger and more prosperous than it was before this disaster happened in the first place,” he continued.

While the vice president said it will not happen overnight, he emphasized that “President Trump, me, and the entire administration are committed to ensuring that the people of East Palestine, that their community, their government, does right by them, and we’ll keep on working at it in the months and the years to come,” he added.

RELATED — Trump to East Palestine Residents: “You Are Not Forgotten”

The toxic train derailment occurred in 2023, and residents were largely forgotten by the Biden administration. At the time, Donald Trump was the first major figure to visit the site and comfort the people, delivering truckloads of bottled water.

“We’re here today in East Palestine to show our love and support for our fellow Americans in this hour of need,” Trump said at a fire station in February 2023.

“To the people of East Palestine and to the nearby communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania, we have heard you loud and clear. You are not forgotten,” he continued. “You are not forgotten.”

“We stand with you. We pray for you. And we will stay with you in your fight to help answer and get the accountability that you deserve,” Trump added.

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Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg did not visit the area until after Trump and — to no surprise — blamed the incident on Trump.

As Breitbart News fact-checked:

CLAIM: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is blaming former President Donald Trump for the train disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, claiming, “we’re constrained by law on some areas of rail regulation,” and citing a “braking rule” that was withdrawn under the Trump administration.

VERDICT: False.

While it is true that in 2018 the Department of Transportation (DOT) withdrew a proposed rule requiring trains carrying certain dangerous chemicals to use electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes, this rule would not have applied to the train that derailed in East Palestine on February 3.

It took former President Joe Biden over one year to visit the people of East Palestine.

RELATED — “Thank You for Not Forgetting About Us!” East Palestine Residents Cheer Trump’s Visit