EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Although White House officials have said this week that President Joe Biden will eventually visit East Palestine, Ohio Senator JD Vance argues the area is being ignored.

It’s been seven months since that train derailed in the village — followed days later by a promise from the President that he would come to the area in person. Nothing’s happened since then, and recently the President told reporters he hasn’t had the “occasion” to visit the area.

“When a President says to a community, ‘I’m gonna visit your community. I’m gonna check in on how things are going.’ And then doesn’t do it — that’s a slap in the face,” Vance said. “Not just to the people who live in East Palestine, but to the people who think the President of the United States ought to actually mean what he says and say what he means.”

Vance once again urged the President to approve Ohio’s request for a disaster declaration because of the derailment — something Democrat Sherrod Brown has done as well.

It’s been two months since Gov. Mike DeWine made that request.