At East Palestine derailment site, Trump calls response a 'betrayal,' makes false FEMA claim

On February 22, 2023, Trump visited East Palestine, Ohio, the site of a February 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment and controlled chemical burn, touring the area and speaking at the local fire department alongside Senator J.D. Vance and other Republican officials. He described the federal response as met with 'indifference and betrayal' and distributed bottled water and cleaning supplies branded with his name. During the visit he said, 'Biden and FEMA said they would not send federal aid to East Palestine under any circumstance. They're not going to send aid' — a claim FactCheck.org found false, noting that the EPA, HHS, NTSB and FEMA had all been engaged with the response since the derailment and that FEMA's standard disaster-aid program does not apply to this type of damage. All East Palestine schools closed for the day to accommodate the visit.

“Biden and FEMA said they would not send federal aid to East Palestine under any circumstance. They're not going to send aid.” Quote verified against source