- National Attention is Turning to East Palestine Train Derailment – The train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio has become a proxy battle for existing political divides and a lens to reveal the failings of both the Democratic and Trump-era Republican parties.
- Trump, Regan, and Buttigieg Visit East Palestine – In the past 10 days, EPA Administrator Michael Regan, former President Donald Trump, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg have all visited the town.
- East Palestine as a Symbol of White Working-Class Abandonment – Trump-era Republicans, like Ohio’s newly elected senator, J. D. Vance, have embraced East Palestine as an example of how the Democratic Party has abandoned white working-class areas of the industrial Midwest.
- Late Response from Media and Democratic Establishment – Some factions of conservative media have accused the mainstream press and Democratic establishment of ignoring the story, though in fact Fox News was just as late as its competitors.
- No Initial Fatalities, Uncertain Environmental Effects – Unlike some other recent rail catastrophes, no one died in the initial derailment and fire. The longer-term environmental effects are still uncertain.
- MAGA Republicans Offer Wrong Solutions – The MAGA Republicans have offered little hope to the crisis with wrong solutions and policy ideas.
- Biden’s Stimulus Won’t Make a Dent – Biden’s enormous stimulus plans may reshape the American economy but are unlikely to make much of a dent in small, depressed towns like East Palestine.
- Promise of Recovery, But Thriving is Remote – Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw has promised to help East Palestine recover and thrive, but this may be a promise he can’t keep.
Published February 24, 2023
Visit The Atlantic to read David A. Graham’s original post MAGA Is the Mullet of Politics
