Donald Trump took a trip to East Palestine, Ohio today, nearly three weeks after a dangerous train wreck filled the air with smoke from toxic chemicals in what can only be described as a “wreck” in and of itself.
Watch the clip below.
According to Trump, he brought along “thousands” of bottles of Trump water. The brand formerly known as “Trump Ice” went defunct in 2010.
“We’re bringing thousands of bottle of water. Trump water, actually – most of it,” he told the crowd. “Some of it we had to go to a much lesser quality water. You wanna get those Trump bottles I think, more than anybody else.”
A grifter’s gonna grift.
Trump says he brought "Trump water" for the residents of East Palestine, and also "much lesser quality water" pic.twitter.com/DpLwcPfNQk
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 22, 2023
The 2024 GOP presidential candidate did what was expected and used the appearance to praise himself. This sent social media on a tear to remind the former President that his decision to roll back Obama-era rail safety policies was a major factor in contributing to the disaster.
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The popular left-wing media conglomerate, Meidas Touch, applauded The Philadelphia Inquirer’s headline shading Trump for his “return to the scene of his crime.”
A+ headline https://t.co/gKB9403qrq pic.twitter.com/nZ57waJS13
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) February 22, 2023
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But it didn’t stop there.
https://twitter.com/ReallyAmerican1/status/1628489842165252099?s=20
The town of approximately 4,000 residents is still dealing with the after-effects and toxic contamination of the area north of Pittsburgh, near the Ohio/Pennsylvania border.
Perhaps the most damning of social media criticism and comments came in the form of a video by the democracy advocacy group, The Lincoln Project.
“Trump spent years rolling back protections put in place to avoid disasters like the one in OH,” the anti-Trump political PAC tweeted. “His photo op today is a transparent attempt to distract from his failures as a President.”
Trump spent years rolling back protections put in place to avoid disasters like the one in OH. His photo op today is a transparent attempt to distract from his failures as a President.
They say criminals always return to the scene of the crime. That couldn't be more true today. pic.twitter.com/aODFyBBCrd
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) February 22, 2023
Made up of former Republican strategists and operatives – The Lincoln Project isn’t wrong.
When it comes to disaster, Trump has shown time and again that when it comes to the twice-impeached ex-president it’s all about ego and credit – deserved or not.
Who can forget his callously throwing out paper towels to those in Puerto Rico suffering from the devastation of Hurricane Maria during his term?
Trump’s shameless self-promotion in Ohio village wouldn’t be complete without a trip to a local McDonald’s where the Big Mac lover passed out red MAGA hats.
How that’s going to help 4,000 people whose water, air and land may be contaminated and unsafe, nobody knows.
This is what Trump went to #EastPalenstine for, purely to campaign and pass out Trump water and MAGA hats at @McDonalds which should be ashamed for letting him to do this.
As subpoenas drop for Ivanka & Jared. pic.twitter.com/rFBDdG9P0W
— Skyleigh Heinen (@Sky_Lee_1) February 22, 2023
While President Biden and the administration’s Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg continue to get criticism from the right, the actions of the former President have largely been ignored by conservative media.
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Instead of taking responsibility for his disastrous policies, Trump instead went on a tangent about pandemic lockdowns on sports like football.
“When Ohio State wasn’t going to be playing football for another season. They were gonna sit back and watch with the China virus, or Covid – whatever you wanna call it. And uh, I called the head of the Big 10 – Big 10 football –’you gotta get this football open.”
Amid a less than enthusiastic embrace from MAGA after he announced a third run for the presidency, Donald Trump appears to be grasping at straws as he seeks to recapture the momentum and glory heaped on him during his 2016 and 2020 runs.
Trump’s politically performative visit to E. Palestine serves as a reminder that the one-term president should remain just that.
H/T Aaron Rupar.
Follow Ty Ross on Twitter @cooltxchick