Former President Donald Trump picked up an endorsement Wednesday that should not surprise anyone who has followed the story of the train derailment in East Ohio in early February.

East Palestine Mayor Trent R. Conaway came out in support of Trump during the Lincoln Day dinner in Columbiana when Donald Trump, Jr. brought him out on stage.

“I would first like to thank Joe Biden and Hunter Biden for visiting the town — oh, that’s right, they were busy,” Conaway joked.

BREAKING: @DonaldJTrumpJr just brought the Mayor of East Palestine, Trent Conaway, on stage at the packed Lincoln Day dinner in Columbiana, Ohio.

Mayor Conaway just called out Biden for not showing up and he also endorsed Trump for 2024!

Thank you for your leadership, Mayor! pic.twitter.com/qp5MnpBvnr

— Alex Bruesewitz 🇺🇸 (@alexbruesewitz) April 27, 2023

"We truly got help"

The mayor said that Trump's visit “really changed the way people saw us — the town" and got people to help, which the EPA had not done.

"We truly got help after [Trump] visited, so we thank you. Without you, this could have been different, so we thank you,” he continued. “And that’s why, in 2024, I will support your father’s reelection."

After Biden refused to visit the town, which had train cars full of chemicals dumped on it when the train derailed, Trump showed up with cases of "Trump water" and emotional support for the beleaguered town.

As the Biden EPA was declaring the water safe to drink and the air safe to breathe even though residents were feeling sick and the water had a foul taste, Trump was able to look like the hero and someone who cared about the town.

Republican town

Even without Trump's intervention, Conaway's endorsement should not be any surprise to anyone, since like most small towns, the town largely votes Republican.

East Palestine is located in Columbiana County, which voted 71.5% Republican in the last election.

Most East Palestinians are not looking to the government to save them, just for the EPA to do their jobs and monitor/clean up the area.

In this case, it seems that events surrounding the derailment confirmed what most East Palestinians already believed, that Democrat governments weren't very helpful and tended to make things worse.

Biden was probably never going to get an endorsement from East Palestine, but he didn't help himself by largely ignoring their plight.

And could you imagine what Kamala would say if she went there?