REAL TALK

NEWS POLITICS

President Biden Sparks Controversy Over Decision Not to Visit East Palestine, Ohio After Train Derailment

ByAlki David

Feb 27, 2023
President Joe Biden speaks with administration officials about East Palestine train derailment. (President Biden/Twitter)

The President’s decision to forego a trip to East Palestine has sparked controversy and criticism from many in the Ohio community, who feel neglected by the administration.

The town of East Palestine, located in Columbiana County, has been grappling with the aftermath of a train derailment that occurred earlier this month. The incident resulted in the evacuation of hundreds of residents and caused significant damage to the town’s infrastructure.

Despite this, the President has opted not to make an in-person visit to the area, instead opting for a remote video call. This decision has drawn ire from local officials, who argue that the situation on the ground warrants a physical presence from the President.

Republican lawmakers have also seized on the issue, accusing the Biden administration of neglecting the needs of rural America. Representative Jim Jordan, who represents Ohio’s 4th congressional district, tweeted that “President Biden doesn’t care about small towns like East Palestine. He’s more concerned with his coastal elite friends.”

However, supporters of the President have defended his decision, pointing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the logistical challenges of making a last-minute trip to Ohio. They argue that the video call was an appropriate and effective way for the President to address the situation and show his support for the community.

As the debate continues, it remains to be seen whether President Biden will make a trip to East Palestine in the future. In the meantime, the town and its residents continue to grapple with the aftermath of the train derailment, and the broader challenges facing rural communities across the country.

By Alki David

Alki David — Publisher, Media Architect, SIN Network Creator - live, direct-to-public communication, media infrastructure, accountability journalism, and independent distribution. Born in Lagos, Nigeria; educated in the United Kingdom and Switzerland; attended the Royal College of Art. Early internet broadcaster — participated in real-time public coverage during the 1997 Mars landing era using experimental online transmission from Beverly Hills. Founder of FilmOn, one of the earliest global internet television networks offering live and on-demand broadcasting outside legacy gatekeepers. Publisher of SHOCKYA — reporting since 2010 on systemic corruption inside the entertainment business and its expansion into law, finance, and regulation. Creator of the SIN Network (ShockYA Integrated Network), a federated media and civic-information infrastructure spanning investigative journalism, live TV, documentary, and court-record reporting. Lived and worked for over 40 years inside global media hubs including Malibu, Beverly Hills, London, Hong Kong and Gstaad. Early encounter with Julian Assange during the first Hologram USA operations proved a formative turning point — exposing the realities of lawfare, information suppression, and concentrated media power. Principal complainant and driving force behind what court filings describe as the largest consolidated media–legal accountability action on record, now before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. Relocated to Antigua & Barbuda and entered sustained legal, civic, and informational confrontation over media power, safeguarding, and accountability at Commonwealth scale.