East Palestine, Ohio Residents are still reeling from the derailment of a train carrying hazardous chemicals, leaving them to wonder whether it’s safe to drink the water or even live in their homes–even the top conservative news network, once Donald Trump’s greatest media ally, is calling him out for his role.
Trump appeared in the Ohio town on Wednesday to make a display of handing out bottled water (under his own brand name, of course) and buying meals at McDonald’s for first responders.
When asked about his own administration’s rollback of Obama-era rules that would have reduced the risk of such incidents, he starkly denied it — but even right-wing media isn’t buying it.
Railroad companies have lobbied for reduced regulations, and Trump ran on, in part, promises to reduce regulations that his party claims are hurting businesses.
In January 2018, he tweeted out a boast about how many “unnecessary regulations” his administration had “terminated,” and that many more were yet to come.
Still, when asked about his removal of, specifically, regulations that required rail companies to update braking systems, and that addressed other safety issues, he declared, “I had nothing to do with it!”
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Hosts on Fox News remain unconvinced — in a Thursday morning segment, discussing where to place blame, addressing Norfolk Southern Railway and Congressman Bill Johnson’s lukewarm responses before placing most of the blame on the Biden Administration.
They didn’t let Trump off, entirely though:
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Speaking of the White House, apparently regulations regarding train safety were changed during the Trump Administration. This particular railroad and others lobbied President Trump to dismantle an Obama-era rule that would have required railroads to update braking systems, and apparently, the Obama administration had pushed for it to govern the transport of hazardous materials after about half a million barrels of crude were dumped but ultimately the Trump Administration undid that and argued the cost exceeded the benefits.
Check out that clip below, and scroll on to see Trump himself deny it, and his 2018 boast about all the regulations his administration was ripping up.
👀 @FoxNews: "Regulations regarding train safety were changed during the Trump administration. This particular railroad and others lobbied President Trump to dismantle an Obama-era rule that would have required railroads to update their braking systems." pic.twitter.com/g5AfGeGfle
— Andrew Bates (@AndrewJBates46) February 23, 2023
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Here’s Trump saying that he “had nothing to do with it” and shifting to attacking Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on issues with airports.
Donald Trump responds to Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg pointing out that his administration rolled back regulations on the rail industry:
"I had nothing to do with it." pic.twitter.com/0VT4zgVU8k
— The Recount (@therecount) February 22, 2023
While on the campaign trail, and in office, however, Trump was proud of rolling back regulations, as seen in this 2018 tweet.
The Trump Administration has terminated more UNNECESSARY Regulation, in just twelve months, than any other Administration has terminated during their full term in office, no matter what the length. The good news is, THERE IS MUCH MORE TO COME!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2018