The Daily Fuckup

Donald Trump went to East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 22, 2023, less than three weeks after the Norfolk Southern derailment that sent railcars off the tracks, triggered fires, and released hazardous materials into the environment. The EPA says it arrived on scene within hours of the Feb. 3 crash and began air testing and other response work with state and federal partners the next day. ([epa.gov](https://www.epa.gov/east-palestine-oh-train-derailment/background))

At the time of Trump’s visit, the response was still active. EPA said it had issued Norfolk Southern several legal orders to push cleanup work and recover response costs, and it was continuing to oversee air, water, soil, and sediment monitoring around the village. The federal complaint against Norfolk Southern came later, on Feb. 23, 2023, not before Trump arrived. ([epa.gov](https://www.epa.gov/east-palestine-oh-train-derailment/background))

Trump used the trip to attack the federal response and cast the derailment as proof of government failure. That kept East Palestine in the national conversation, but the substance of the crisis was still the same: a wreck with hazardous cargo, a community worried about contamination, and a cleanup that was nowhere near finished. ([epa.gov](https://www.epa.gov/east-palestine-oh-train-derailment/background))