Joe Biden would go to East Palestine, Ohio, but he’s just so busy. He can’t possibly work it into his schedule, at least not for a while.

When the Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, potentially releasing toxic chemicals into the air and water, the Biden administration tried its best to ignore the situation. Secretary of Transportation Buttigieg had to be shamed into going and seeing the damage on the ground for himself. He was hoping that FEMA and the EPA could be sent and he wouldn’t have to make the trip. He did eventually go, though. President Biden? Nope.

Biden high-tailed it down to Florida just a few days after Hurricane Idalia destroyed parts of that state. He held a press conference as he toured Live Oak, Florida. During the press conference he addressed the federal government’s efforts to assist the residents in impacted areas. A reporter asked him about going to East Palestine.

“Well, I haven’t had the occasion to go to East Palestine,” Biden began. “There’s a lot going on here, and I just haven’t been able to break.”

“I was thinking whether I’d go to East Palestine this week, but I was reminded I’ve got to go literally around the world,” the president continued. “I’m going from Washington to India to Vietnam.”

Let’s look at that response for a minute here. A freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio on February 3. It was transporting toxic chemicals which then spewed from the train. Local and state officials have reassured the residents of East Palestine and the surrounding area that the air and water are safe but those living there complained of nausea, dizziness, and headaches. Some still claim to suffer physical symptoms.

Biden said he would go to East Palestine “at some point” when he was asked on March 2. He never nailed down a time frame on the visit, though. Here we are seven months later and still no presidential visit. Biden finds time for vacations and weekends at home in Delaware or at Camp David regularly. It is rare for him to spend a weekend at the White House. He spent almost the entire month of August on vacation. Air Force One flew near East Palestine in August when he traveled to Milwaukee to tout Bidenomics at a campaign-style event.

Senator J.D. Vance has been a critic of the president’s response. He points to “thousands of tons” of local soil still containing chemicals.

“One hundred and sixty-six days ago, Joe Biden promised he would visit East Palestine. He has failed to keep that promise,” Senator J.D. Vance said in a previous statement. “Not only has Joe Biden refused to visit East Palestine, but he has also refused to grant critical assistance to the recovery effort.”

In August, a recovery progress report was released by the railroad. An independent review of the railroad’s safety culture and safety-related training programs is expected in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Biden was shamed into leaving his vacation in Lake Tahoe to go to Maui and tour the damage from the wildfires. The man that is supposed to ooze empathy is slow to show it unless it is to his political advantage. One role of the president is to be comforter-in-chief when bad things happen. It sure looks like this president only goes into communities that he thinks benefit him politically. He is Johnny-on-the-spot when a mass shooting happens because then he can lecture us about gun control. I’ll note that he didn’t visit Jacksonville, Florida after three people were shot in a highly publicized mass shooting at a Dollar General store. Biden was on vacation at the time. It happened as Florida prepared for Hurricane Idalia.

Joe’s empathy seems to extend to areas where Democrats are in control or in states that are important to his re-election. East Palestine is Trump country. Ohio has gone solidly red in recent elections. If East Palestine had gone for Biden in 2020, would his reaction be different? What about Pete Buttigieg’s reluctance to visit?

There is no reason to believe that Biden was thinking about going to East Palestine this week until someone told him he is leaving the country on an overseas trip. Biden had time to go to Philadelphia for a Labor Day rally. He has time for lots of trips and events when he wants to make the time to do them.

Residents now say a trip to East Palestine would be an insult.

Resident Tammy Tsai thinks Biden’s response is “reprehensible.”

“He should’ve been here. He should be helping these people. He should learn how to say the name of the town,” Tsai told “NewsNation Prime” host Natasha Zouves.

Tsai and resident Jamie Wallace appear to agree that people throughout the community are losing hope and feeling abandoned by the federal government.

‘A lot of people are worse off mentally now than they were day one because we had faith in our government,” Wallace said. “We thought people would hear our cries, see that our needs are unmet, (see) sick children and we thought that we would have help by now.”

She continued: “I think at this point, it’s pointless for him (Biden) to come. Just give us the federal support that we need. You’ve already shown us how little you think of us. Coming now would just add to the insult.”

Who can blame her for feeling that way?