Twice-impeached former president Donald Trump made an appearance in East Palestine, Ohio, on Wednesday to address and lend support to communities impacted by the train derailment. But, according to “The View” host Joy Behar, Trump is the last person who should’ve come to the state, considering “it’s his fault” that the derailment happened.
In case you missed it, a 38-car train carrying toxic chemicals derailed on Feb. 3, resulting in the spill and ignition of multiple tanks in the area. In the weeks that have followed, health problems among residents have steadily risen, and large swaths of wildlife have turned up dead. During his visit, Trump told those present, “You are not forgotten.”
On Thursday’s episode of “The View,” host Alyssa Farah Griffin noted that Trump’s visit to the town was “good politics,” especially considering he overwhelmingly won East Palestine’s county in the 2020 election. But Behar still questioned why they would have voted for him at all.
“I don’t know why they would ever vote for him, for somebody who — by the way, he placed someone with deep ties to the chemical industry in charge of the EPA Chemical Safety Office,” Behar reminded everyone. “That’s who you voted for in that district. Donald Trump, who reduces all safety. He did.”
Behar’s feelings on Trump’s connection to the train derailment are not unique, as many Democrats have argued that it was the Trump administration’s actions that essentially caused the accident in the first place.
Indeed, the twice-impeached former president’s administration ended regular rail safety audits of railroads, withdrew an Obama-era proposal to require faster brakes on trains carrying highly flammable materials (like this train was) and scrapped a rule that would require freight trains to have at least two crew members.
As a result, Sunny Hostin put her thoughts bluntly: “I think this is Donald Trump’s fault.”
Behar readily agreed with her, marveling that “it’s his fault, and then he shows up!”
You can watch the full segment from “The View” in the video above.