“The View” co-host Joy Behar is being called out by a Biden official who is trying to cool people’s tempers over the East Palestine, Ohio train disaster.
On Thursday, Behar suggested East Palestine residents got what they deserved with the Norfolk Southern trail derailment because they voted for President Donald Trump. She was teed up by a comment from co-host Alyssa Farah-Griffin, who criticized Biden for not visiting the Ohio community. Watch:
Joy Behar says the residents of East Palestine got what they deserved because they voted for Trump.
For the record, this is 1000x worse than anything Don Lemon said. Will she be kicked off her show and forced to undergo sensitivy training? pic.twitter.com/VuLVRRLDbV
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 23, 2023
“One thing I just want to say is I do think this was an unforced error by President Biden. It was 20 days before we had Secretary Buttigieg go down, 10 days before he put out a statement acknowledging it,” co-host Alyssa Farah-Griffin said. “This is Trump country. He won by 40 points. He is a president for all Americans, I believe that, but he needs to show that he is. It was time for him to be there.”
“I don’t know why they would ever vote for [Trump], for somebody who, by the way, he placed someone with deep ties to the chemical industry in charge of the EPA’s chemical safety office. That’s who you voted for, in that district,” Behar said, looking directly into the camera. “Donald Trump, who reduces all safety, he did!”
“I think this is Donald Trump’s fault,” Hostin said.
“It’s his fault, and then he shows up,” Behar said.
But on Friday, the NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy blasted the claim by “The View” co-host Joy Behar that President Donald Trump and his voters are to blame for the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment disaster.
WATCH: NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy says the brake rule Buttigieg and Joy Behar blamed President Trump for repealing 'would not have prevented' the East Palestine derailment.
"The wheel bearing failed on car number 23. So even with ECP brakes, the derailment would have occurred." pic.twitter.com/AECPta0T5F
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) February 24, 2023
Homendy says the brake rule, which Behar blamed Trump for repealing, “would not have prevented” the disaster.
“The wheel bearing failed on car number 23, Homendy remarked. “So even with ECP brakes, the derailment would have occurred.”
She also slammed those who are playing politics with the tragedy.
“I don’t understand why this has gotten so political. This is a community that is suffering. This is not about politics. This is about addressing their needs, their concerns,” she said.
But one reason it got political is because Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg falsely blamed Donald Trump for the Norfolk Southern train disaster.
A Biden official on Thursday called out Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for spreading “misinformation” about his dodging of responsibility for the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio and his blame of former President Donald Trump.
Buttigieg claimed earlier in February he is “constrained by law on some areas of rail regulation” and then cited a “braking rule” that was removed in 2018 during the Trump administration.
We’re constrained by law on some areas of rail regulation (like the braking rule withdrawn by the Trump administration in 2018 because of a law passed by Congress in 2015), but we are using the powers we do have to keep people safe. https://t.co/xRyyYpGOwd
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) February 14, 2023
“We’re constrained by law on some areas of rail regulation (like the braking rule withdrawn by the Trump administration in 2018 because of a law passed by Congress in 2015), but we are using the powers we do have to keep people safe,” Buttigieg claimed.
But Homendy retorted on Twitter: “PLEASE STOP SPREADING MISINFORMATION” about the cause of the train disaster.
She blasted the claim and directly addressed the ECP (electronically controlled pneumatic) brake rule.
Some are saying the ECP (electronically controlled pneumatic) brake rule, if implemented, would’ve prevented this derailment. FALSE – here’s why…
— Jennifer Homendy (@JenniferHomendy) February 17, 2023
“That leads me to my last point: anyone speculating about what happened, didn’t happen, or should’ve happened is misleading a suffering community – PLEASE STOP SPREADING MISINFORMATION. For example… Some are saying the ECP (electronically controlled pneumatic) brake rule, if implemented, would’ve prevented this derailment. FALSE.”
The NTSB Chair explained that “The ECP braking rule would’ve applied ONLY to HIGH HAZARD FLAMMABLE TRAINS,” and that “the train that derailed in East Palestine was a MIXED FREIGHT TRAIN containing only 3 placarded Class 3 flammable liquids cars.”
“This means even if the rule had gone into effect, this train wouldn’t have had ECP brakes,” Homendy stated.
Homendy expanded on the reason that blaming the removal of the brake rule under the Trump administration was a false narrative.
For a reminder of the history on ECP, see this graphic from @USGAO. The Dec 2015 FAST Act directive (below) resulted in PHMSA withdrawing the ECP brake rule on September 24, 2018. pic.twitter.com/not4rQkPhU
— Jennifer Homendy (@JenniferHomendy) February 17, 2023
Homendy added that “nothing is more important than accuracy at a moment like this,” and that “anyone speculating about what happened, didn’t happen, or should’ve happened is misleading a suffering community.”
Norfolk Southern had earlier stated the train “was not considered a high-hazard flammable train.”
Thus, even if the rule mandating ECP brakes were to have gone into effect, it would not have necessarily applied to the Norfolk Southern train that derailed in East Palestine.
Follow Kyle Becker on Twitter @kylenabecker.