Locals affected by the recent train derailment in Ohio, which released toxic chemicals into the air and water, aren’t happy with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s lack of involvement, so some residents made that abundantly clear at a recent town hall.
“Where’s Pete Buttigieg?” one resident asked East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know,” replied Conway, “your guess is as good as mine.”
Mayor Conaway said Tuesday was the first time he had heard from the White House in weeks after the tragic derailment.
Watch:
Residents Ask Mayor of East Palestine, Ohio, ‘Where’s Pete Buttigieg?’
Mayor Conaway: I don’t know. Your guess is as good as mine. Yesterday was the first time I heard anything from the White House. pic.twitter.com/AlKG7mncwP
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) February 16, 2023
RELATED: Cruz Slams FAA Chief For Recent Airline Safety Failures, Says Administration Should Stop Focusing On Things Like ‘Born People’
Seriously, where is Buttigieg?
Support conservative voices!
Sign up to receive the latest Political news, insight and commentary delivered straight to your inbox.
Yesterday, Senators Marco Rubio and JD Vance also wrote a letter requesting a summary of the Transportation Department’s efforts in response to the situation.
The only recent information the public has received from Buttigieg so far was a tweet sent Tuesday night, in which his department was “restricted by law on certain train controls (like the braking rule that was repealed by the Trump administration in 2018 because of a law passed by Congress in 2015), but we are using the authority we have to keep people safe.”
Then he responded on Wednesday Twitter In an exchange between Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Ilhan Omar, both demanded a “congressional inquiry and direct action” from Buttigieg.
He is responded By reposting the comments, “Nice to see the newfound bipartisan agreement here. We can begin by discussing immediate steps Congress can take to address rail safety and reduce restrictions on USDOT in this area. Give us a call, we can do some good work.
That’s the thing, people are reaching out, in fact many important people continue to reach out yet Buttigieg is only concerned with the number of white responders to the derailed scene.
EPA Administrator Michael Reagan has commented frequently on the situation in Ohio and currently plans to visit East Palestine. Buttigieg’s response to that? Simply retweeting Reagan Video publication; There are no announcements of his own to join Reagan on his visit or plan his own.
In response to an inquiry by Fox News Digital today, the Department of Transportation said the National Transportation Safety Board is currently the lead investigator into the incident in Ohio and is only in a “supportive role.”
What happened in East Palestine, Ohio is unacceptable.
And yet, Pete Buttigieg, Biden’s transportation secretary, was nowhere to be found. pic.twitter.com/OYeVMA4LQC
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 16, 2023
RELATED: Shelter-in-place order reinstated for Tucson after dangerous hazmat spill
Calls for resignation
Many critics have called for Buttigieg’s ouster, saying the incident is just one of many examples of his inability to respond as a leader.
Tudor Dixon, a former Michigan gubernatorial candidate with experience in industrial manufacturing, tweeted, “Pete Buttigieg is a complete failure as Secretary of Transportation and recent derailment in Michigan renders him unfit to serve.”
Dixon was referring to today’s derailment outside Detroit. Reports suggest that this train may also be carrying toxic chemicals.
The Washington Examiner’s editorial board has publicly called for Buttigieg’s resignation.
“Buttigieg is notorious for wasting taxpayers’ time on things like ‘racial roads’ and gender-inclusive pronouns, while transportation infrastructure crumbles,” the editorial said. “An overambitious politician with almost no useful experience, he is desperate to shore up his strained relations with black Democratic voters, the result of a racially divisive tenure as mayor of South Bend, Indiana.”
“If Buttigieg is serious about ‘equity,'” he should resign and ask President Joe Biden to replace him with a black nominee. We are not keen on tokenism, but such a move would give the nation a better chance of strength in DOT.
Pete Buttigieg has been a total failure as transportation secretary, and the latest derailment in Michigan makes him unfit to serve. pic.twitter.com/pTHwfa7vgD
— Tudor Dixon (@TudorDixon) February 16, 2023
Now is the time to support and share sources you trust.
Political Insider was ranked #3 on FeedSpot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites”.
