After the serious train accident in the American state of Ohio, in which large amounts of poison ended up in the environment, Donald Trump (76) seized his chance. Flanked by his son Donald Trump Jr. (45), the president-elect handed out 14,000 drinking bottles labeled “Trump Spring Water” at the scene of the accident and scolded incumbent President Joe Biden, 80: “What this community needs now is no apology, but answers and results.”
Biden is being criticized for preferring a visit to the Ukrainian capital Kiev on February 20 to a visit to the disaster area in his own country. Trent Conaway, mayor of the tragedy-stricken city of eastern Palestine, said: “He doesn’t care about us.” Biden “gives millions of dollars to the people there, not us – I’m angry”. And Trump mockingly doubled: he hopes Biden will have some money left after his trip to Ukraine.
The Biden administration is now trying to make up for its omission. However, the president did not travel to eastern Palestine himself, but sent his transport minister Pete Buttigieg (41) last week.
Trump wants to win Ohio
Claudia Brühwiler (40), US expert at the University of St. Gallen, believes the train crash will bring Biden down, but “for a short time at most”. She told Blick that the derailment occurred at a time when Biden was dealing with several major events at once — including the war in Ukraine and the mysterious flying objects. Brühwiler: “The fact that he does not visit the scene of the accident himself is mainly criticized by people who do not choose him anyway.”
Brühwiler is not surprised that Trump wants to make a name for himself in Ohio. His election campaign is primarily of regional importance because Ohio is a swing state. This is a state where Democrats and Republicans are almost evenly matched.
“Trump turns them into pawns”
The US expert believes that most people at the scene of the accident can properly assess Trump’s intentions. “You are not naive. They know that Trump is not coming out of the goodness of his heart, but because of the campaign and making them pawns.”
In addition, it is currently unknown whether the Republicans will nominate Trump again and whether Biden will run again. Brühwiler: “A lot will happen before the elections. That puts the importance and reactions to the train accident in Ohio into perspective.”
Even though everything is still open at the moment, the two opponents are already being compared. In an election poll by Harvard’s Center for American Political Studies (CAPS) and Harris Insights and Analytics on the US election in 2024, Trump is ahead of Biden and his vice president Kamala Harris (58).
Poison ran out controlled
On February 3, 38 cars of a 150-car train derailed, some of which caught fire. Large amounts of sometimes highly toxic chemicals, such as the carcinogenic vinyl chloride, ended up in the environment. The wrecks burned for days. To prevent an explosion, authorities released and burned the chemicals in a controlled manner. A huge cloud of smoke hung over the place. Nearby homes were temporarily evacuated.
After the accident, residents not only complained about the pungent smell, but also about health problems, including headaches, irritated eyes and skin rashes. According to initial findings, the cause of the accident was an overheated wheel bearing in one of the wagons.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
