OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris received very different responses when the two of them showed up to separate events this past week.
According to a video clip of what appears to be an event at the White House posted by RNC Research, the person introducing the VP informs the small crowd gathered that they should “stand when she enters the room,” while adding after Harris walks in, “You can clap, that’s okay!”
"You can clap. It's okay." pic.twitter.com/BiB6E0rf1v
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 23, 2023
But even when they were told it was fine to clap, only a smattering of applause was heard.
Meanwhile, Trump was greeted by huge crowds when he visited East Palestine, Ohio, last week, the site of a major environmental disaster stemming from the derailment of a train that spilled tons of chemicals into the surrounding area.
At one point, Trump left a private meeting he was having with elected officials, including Sen. J.D. Vance, to address a crowd of people chanting his name. Hoops and hollers could be heard from those assembled, according to a clip posted by The Post Millennial.
"We love you, President Trump!"
Residents of East Palestine, Ohio, show their appreciation for Trump during his visit. pic.twitter.com/CtRdCozjty
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) February 22, 2023
“We love you!” one person can be heard yelling.
Trump arrived to provide aid in the aftermath of a train derailment and personally helped with the delivery of numerous truckloads of bottled water to the area. According to John Rourke, CEO of Blue Line Moving, the company transported a total of 13 pallets of water pallets to East Palestine to assist the small town.
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung told Breitbart News, “President Trump is meeting with the citizens of East Palestine, and he will never forget them and what they are going through. Contrast that with Biden and the federal government, who have failed them from the beginning.”
“Cleanup crews ended up igniting five train cars to get rid of toxic chemicals in a controlled environment, which created a menacing plume of thick smoke that resembled a mushroom cloud. Images of the controlled detonation were later circulated on social media, sparking concerns around the nation. The incident resulted in about half of the town’s population being ordered to evacuate. While residents have since been told they are allowed to return to their homes, many are still concerned and want answers — but Biden and Buttigieg are nowhere to be found,” Breitbart added.
Fox News reported:
Trump’s planned visit comes after a train derailment on Feb. 3, when about 50 cars on a Norfolk Southern Railroad train carrying vinyl chloride derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, a small community that is located along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.
The company opted to release the gas from the derailed cars, releasing potentially deadly fumes and other dangerous chemicals into the air, to prevent a disastrous explosion. Local residents were told to evacuate the area during the release, but were assured it was safe to return on Feb. 9.
Residents of the East Palestine community have reported severe symptoms from toxins and chemicals that have seeped into the air and waterways since the derailment on Feb. 7.
Meanwhile, several Democrats admit that they have lost hope in Harris, with some admitting to the media that she is a liability for the 2024 presidential election.
The New York Times headlined in an article Monday that Harris is struggling to “define her vice presidency and that even her allies are tired of waiting.” The outlet added that more and more Democrats are beginning to agree that Harris is a disappointment at best.
“But the painful reality for Ms. Harris is that in private conversations over the last few months, dozens of Democrats in the White House, on Capitol Hill, and around the nation — including some who helped put her on the party’s 2020 ticket — said she had not risen to the challenge of proving herself as a future leader of the party, much less the country.”
Even some Democrats who were supposed to be supporters of Harris “confided privately that they had lost hope in her.”
Democratic fundraiser John Morgan was so fed up that he went on the record against Harris, arguing her weakness as vice president will be “one of the most hard-hitting arguments against Biden.”
