‘Will Not Be Forgotten’: Vance Visits East Palestine On Anniversary Of Train Disaster

Vice President J.D. Vance visited East Palestine, Ohio, on Monday to mark the second anniversary of the disastrous train derailment that left the small town reeling. 

Vance promised during his visit that the Trump administration would complete the environmental cleanup and work to help the area get its economic footing. The visit comes two years after a train operated by Norfolk Southern carrying toxic chemicals derailed, causing widespread environmental damage and prompting thousands to evacuate. 

“President Trump wanted to deliver a message that this community will not be forgotten, will not be left behind, and we’re in it for the long haul in East Palestine,” Vance said. “People have to be confident that they can build a business here, raise a family here. That is going to take a long-term commitment, and that is something people should expect.”

He said that it was a “tragedy and a shame” that the cleanup was not completed during the Biden administration. 

VP @JDVance in East Palestine, OH on the 2nd anniversary of the train derailment:

“President Trump wanted to deliver a message that this community will not be forgotten, will not be left behind, and we’re in it for the long haul… The environmental cleanup has to get done.” pic.twitter.com/MjIYl0p0XA

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) February 3, 2025

“President Trump, me, and the entire Administration are committed to ensure to the people of East Palestine that the government does right by them, and we will be working in the months and the years to come,” Vance added. 

“Is the water clean to drink? Is the air safe to breathe? That is what we were really worried about two years ago. Now, what we’re worried about is finishing this cleanup and getting this community back on the path of economic prosperity.”

Vance, who as a senator pushed forward a bill to increase railway safety in the aftermath of the derailment, was accompanied in his visit by Ohio Governor Mike Dewine, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, and Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted. 

Former President Joe Biden was sharply criticized for not showing up to East Palestine until a year after the disaster while Trump stopped by in the town accompanied by then-Senator Vance just a few weeks after the derailment. It was only after Trump visited that then-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also came to the small town to survey the damage.  

The Biden administration’s response to the derailment was also heavily scrutinized after a controlled burn of the chemicals inside the train was authorized, releasing the toxic chemicals into the air surrounding East Palestine. The National Transportation Safety Board later determined that this burn was unnecessary, saying there were reasonable alternatives. 

A lawsuit was filed on Monday against Norfolk Southern alleging that the company and government officials are responsible for seven deaths that occurred related to the handling of the disaster.