{"id":2563319,"date":"2026-02-03T06:24:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T11:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/has-trump-kept-his-promises-to-the-people-of-east-palestine\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T06:29:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T11:29:10","slug":"has-trump-kept-his-promises-to-the-people-of-east-palestine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/has-trump-kept-his-promises-to-the-people-of-east-palestine\/","title":{"rendered":"Has Trump kept his promises to the people of East Palestine?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhas-trump-kept-his-promises-to-the-people-of-east-palestine%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2563319&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>After the 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, President Trump has pursued a broad set of actions to aid the community, though officials say full recovery will take years. He publicly framed the situation as evidence of indifference from the Biden governance adn visited East Palestine soon after the crash; vice President JD Vance visited in early 2025 to reiterate the commitment to \u201cget this right.\u201d The White House points to multi-agency efforts and funding as proof of ongoing support, including a NIH health study funded by HHS to address long-term toxic exposure concerns, though results have yet to be definitive.<\/p>\n<p>Vance, a co-sponsor of the 2023 railway Safety Act, has continued to push for stronger rail safety measures. In 2025, the Transportation Department implemented several rail-safety provisions, increasing inspections by about 19%, reducing rail accidents and injuries, and imposing significant fines; there was also a move to phase out 111 hazardous-material rail cars and to expand automated track inspection testing.The Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s cleanup effort remains central and is described as the largest in the agency\u2019s history, with Norfolk Southern completing cleanup and monitoring in most areas while ongoing sampling of groundwater and drinking water continues. By late 2025, hundreds of thousands of tons of solid waste and tens of millions of gallons of liquid waste had been removed, and restoration work was nearing completion with data reviews ongoing.<\/p>\n<p>the administration emphasizes a long-term commitment to East Palestine, arguing that the community will continue to receive federal support as it works toward full recovery.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Helping East Palestine was a signature promise for Trump. Recovery will take years<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2492001\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4441887\/republicans-alex-pretti-shooting-trump-offense\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> has taken significant steps toward helping the people of East Palestine, Ohio, rebuild their lives following the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment, but senior administration officials concede that it will likely be years before the community can fully recover.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Trump leaned into the derailment on the 2024 campaign trail, claiming that the village&rsquo;s cries for help were met by &ldquo;indifference and betrayal&rdquo; by then-President Joe Biden. Trump visited East Palestine just days after the derailment occurred, weeks before Biden himself, while Vice President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4431026\/full-transcript-washington-examiner-interview-vice-president-jd-vance\/\">JD Vance<\/a>&rsquo;s first trip of 2025 was to East Palestine to commemorate the two-year anniversary of the tragedy. There, he promised locals that the administration would &ldquo;make sure&rdquo; to &ldquo;get this right.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/4443131\/judge-restart-new-york-offshore-wind-farm\/\">Judge orders restart of New York offshore wind farm, giving industry clean sweep of court wins over Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/4443012\/india-agrees-stop-buying-russian-oil-trade-deal-us\/\">India agrees to stop buying Russian oil as trade deal reached with US<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/4442901\/epa-guidance-farmers-right-to-repair\/\">EPA issues guidance backing farmers &#8216;right-to-repair&#8217; equipment<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The White House declined to say how, or if, the president plans to commemorate the three-year anniversary on Tuesday, but pointed to million-dollar initiatives carried out by the Departments of Transportation, Health and Human Services, and Environmental Protection Agency as evidence that Trump is making good on his campaign promises to the village.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;From day one, President Trump and Vice President Vance have used every lever of executive power to ensure the people of East Palestine receive the support they deserve,&rdquo; a White House spokesperson told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;We are in this for the long haul.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Vance told the<em> Washington Examiner <\/em>during a January interview that he believes, &ldquo;unfortunately,&rdquo; that the Norfolk Southern derailment &ldquo;will have changed East Palestine forever.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Still, the Ohio native voiced pride at how a National Institutes of Health study launched in June of last year by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is addressing East Palestinians&rsquo; questions about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/she-hated-christians-would-kill-for-puberty-blockers\/\" title=\"She despised Christians and was desperate for puberty blockers\">long-term health impacts<\/a> regarding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-jury-awards-iraq-army-veteran-2-49m\/\" title=\"Iraq Army Veteran Receives .49M from Texas Jury\">toxic chemical exposure<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The vice president claimed that, in conversations he&rsquo;s had with residents, &ldquo;that&rsquo;s what they&rsquo;re most worried about.&rdquo; The study, funded to the tune of $10 million across five years, has yet to produce any significant findings, but Vance hopes that it will eventually provide peace of mind or, in the worst-case scenario, treatment recommendations.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4441174\/why-trump-picked-kevin-warsh-federal-reserve-chairman-over-hassett\/\"><strong>A TALE OF TWO KEVINS: WHY TRUMP PICKED WARSH OVER HASSETT TO BE THE NEXT FED CHAIRMAN<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not like they&rsquo;re going to drink the drinking water and drop dead,&rdquo; he told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s that their grandkid, over 10 to 12 years, is going to experience some problem related to low-level toxic exposure, and that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re trying to give them. Either confidence that the answer is no, or, if the answer is yes, at least an understanding of better treatment.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Vance, while still serving in the U.S. Senate, was the lone Republican to cosponsor 2023&rsquo;s Railway Safety Act, legislation aimed at increasing freight and passenger rail safety regulations in response to the East Palestine incident. That bill never made it to the Senate floor for a vote, and a revamped version similarly languished in the U.S. House of Representatives last year.<\/p>\n<p>However, Trump&rsquo;s Department of Transportation enacted a number of rail safety provisions in 2025, which senior administration officials say increased inspections by 19% compared to the prior year while simultaneously driving down rail accidents and employee injuries. The Federal Railroad Administration also collected an all-time high of $3 million in annual safety violation fines and is on schedule to phase out 111 freight cars used for transporting hazardous materials. Furthermore, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy approved a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3890097\/trump-administration-slow-plays-decision-expanding-automate-railroad-inspection-technology\/\">temporary waiver<\/a> in December to expand the field testing of new <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >automated track inspection technologies<\/a>, which experts say will additionally boost inspection rates and limit accidents.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This administration has not forgotten about East Palestine&rsquo;s incredible families and will continue to pursue the highest standards of safety for America&rsquo;s rail systems,&rdquo; a Transportation Department spokesperson wrote in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>While improving safety outcomes may prevent future rail tragedies, it&rsquo;s actually the EPA and its continued efforts regarding Norfolk Southern&rsquo;s court-ordered cleanup that has played the most direct role in helping East Palestinians.<\/p>\n<p>EPA officials tell the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that the removal actions, totaling the agency&rsquo;s largest-ever cleanup operation, are nearing completion.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Under EPA oversight, Norfolk Southern completed site cleanup,&rdquo; an official said. &ldquo;Restoration work is all but complete except for a few minor pickups. The company also just completed sampling and monitoring of wetlands and they and EPA, and Ohio EPA are reviewing data. In early fall, Norfolk Southern completed the fourth reassessment of the streams. No additional areas for cleanup have been identified thus far.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The agency continues to conduct monthly sampling of both groundwater and drinking water sources, in addition to finalizing future plans for quarterly sampling regimens. To date, more than 69,000 samples have been collected and analyzed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4441887\/republicans-alex-pretti-shooting-trump-offense\/\"><strong>TRUMP SPLITS REPUBLICANS WITH ABOUT-FACE ON ALEX PRETTI SHOOTING<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Following Vance&rsquo;s visit last year, running through December of 2025, EPA also removed roughly 250,000 tons of solid waste and 74.3 million gallons of waste liquids from the 50-acre derailment site.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump pledges East Palestine aid; recovery slow<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2645,"featured_media":2563320,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP23053769335900.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[32536,12302,32535,3634],"class_list":["post-2563319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-east-palestine","tag-promises","tag-rail-safety","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP23053769335900.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2563319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2645"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2563319"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2563319\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2563323,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2563319\/revisions\/2563323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2563320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2563319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2563319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2563319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}