President Joe Biden has finally made plans to visit the site of the devastating train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, a year after it occurred. However, the town's mayor is not welcoming the president with open arms.
During a recent interview on Fox News, Mayor Trent Conaway doubled down on his criticism of Biden shortly after the incident. The small-town mayor suggested that the best time for the president to visit East Palestine would be in February 2025—after former President Trump won the presidential election.
"The best time for Biden to visit would be February 2025 when he's on his book tour," Conaway said last month.
Fox Business host Kelly Severi asked Conaway if he still supports his remarks, in which he said "100 percent," adding that he is frustrated with the lack of leadership in charge of the United States.
"I 100% stand by the comment about the book tour. I think that's the best time for him personally," the mayor said. "I think the best time for him to come would have been whenever this happened."
Initially, Conaway welcomed Biden to East Palestine, sending a letter to the president suggesting he was open to federal assistance. However, as months went by without a response from Biden, the mayor's frustration with the administration grew.
He has criticized the Biden Administration's lack of help and resources and Norfolk Southern— the company responsible for the train derailment.
In September, Biden told reporters that he had not had the time in his so-called "busy" schedule to visit the incident, despite spending his weekends at the beach and eating ice cream.
"I haven't had the occasion to go to East Palestine yet; there's a lot going on here, and I just haven't been able to break," Biden had said. "I was thinking I'd go to East Palestine this week, but then I was reminded that I've literally got to go around the world. I'm going from Washington to India to Vietnam to… and so it's going to be wild."
On the contrary, former President Trump visited the town, bringing cases of water bottles and other supplies to the people of East Palestine. One month later, Conaway endorsed the former president during a GOP dinner with Eric Trump.