Vance joined several other officials in visiting the area and surveying the ongoing cleanup efforts, including newly-confirmed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R), Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), and Vivek Ramaswamy, who may be running for Ohio governor in the next election.
Vance, who previously served as an Ohio senator, spoke about the train derailment and the Trump administration’s plans to help the community rebuild.
“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 February 3.
“And there are a few reasons why I want to come back, of course, on the second anniversary of the disaster,” he continued. “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.”
Vance went on to note that “President Trump just wanted to deliver a message that this community will not be forgotten, will not be left behind,” adding that the administration is “in it for the long haul.”
The vice president then confirmed that cleanup of the disaster area will continue, with the long-term economic development of East Palestine being a major 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,” Vance said.
Vance added that these goals will not be achieved overnight, but “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.”
Trump made similar promises to the people of East Palestine while on the campaign trail, as he was the first major political figure to visit the site of the trail derailment in February 2023, while Biden administration officials refused to visit until after Trump made them look bad in the media. During his visit, Trump comforted the people of East Palestine an delivered 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,” he said during a visit to 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,” Trump added. “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,” he continued.
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