The Ohio train derailment is turning into a political circus

When your correspondent arrived in East Palestine, at around ten in the morning on February 22nd, the only person on Market Street, the town’s main drag, was Eric Walleck, holding a sign reading “Walleck 2024”. Sheltering from the rain under a shop’s awning, Mr Walleck explained that he had come from his home in Illinois to this part of eastern Ohio as part of his independent campaign to become president. “I came to talk to the citizens about the train wreck,” he said. “I’ve got food, I’ve got water in my truck, and I am going to hand it out.” He then admits that so far it hasn’t gone very well. “You’re the first person I have talked to,” he says.