Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), up for reelection in 2024 and likely to face a tough opponent, excused Joe Biden’s absence when asked about the president visiting East Palestine, where a train carrying chemicals derailed.
During a press gaggle in Ohio, a reporter asked Brown about the consensus in East Palestine that Biden would not show up to the town, even after there was a “need” for him. In his response, the Democrat senator excused his absence, noting that it doesn’t “particularly” matter if he comes. Brown also stated that he has “talked to his staff more than to him.”
The transcript of Brown’s interaction:
Reporter: What are your thoughts considering the need here in East Palestine that President Biden has decided not to come?
Brown: Well, I don’t think whether the president shows up then and they have to close schools, and everything is disrupted is the issue of the… I’ve talked to the President, I’ve talked to DOT, the Department of…
