Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg finally visited East Palestine on Thursday, 20 days after the train derailment that has left the Ohio community reeling and begging for answers from the Biden administration.
The former mayor donned a hard hart as he toured the site with investigators, a day after Donald Trump told the locals they had been betrayed by the White House and federal government.
The Biden administration continues to face intense backlash from both Republicans and Democrats for the slow response to the disaster that has prompted fears the release of toxic chemicals will lead to long-term illnesses including cancer.
Buttigieg was talking with residents when reporters approached him about why it took so long for him to visit the small town of 4,700 still very much impacted by the hazardous chemicals following the rail accident that took place on February 3.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg finally visited East Palestine on Thursday, 20 days after the train derailment that has left the Ohio community reeling and begging for answers from the Biden administration
‘Mayor Pete, why did it take you an entire two and a half weeks to actually get here – to respond to East Palestine?’ asked Savanah Hernandez, a reporter for Turning Point USA. ‘Will you apologize to the residents of this city for the slow response – to the government’s slow response? Do you have any apologies?’
The press secretary for the Transportation Secretary, Kerry Arndt, is seen on video telling Hernandez and the other reporters that she’ll answer their questions but not on camera and when asked why the camera’s can’t be on, Arndt responded, ‘that’s a little bit aggressive.’
He spoke to National Transportation Safety Board investigators on the side of the tracks, 24 hours after Trump handed out water and food to residents and praised the courage of first responders.
In a tweet on Thursday morning, Buttigieg wrote: ‘This morning I’m in East Palestine, Ohio, to see the site of the Norfolk Southern derailment, hear updates from investigators, and meet first responders. USDOT will continue its work to ensure safety and accountability’.
In the face of mounting criticism, Buttigieg has blamed the Trump administration and rail companies for undermining safety regulations he says led to the crash.
He has demanded Norfolk Southern pay for the clean-up operation while the administration investigates the site.
Earlier this week, before he announced the Thursday visit, a reporter from the Daily Caller confronted him in the street.
He confirmed he would be going, and then tried to take a photo of the journalist Jennie Taer while he was walking around Washington D.C. with his husband Chasten.
‘Well, I’d refer you to about a dozen interviews I’ve given today and if you’d like to arrange a conversation, make sure to reach out to our press office,’ Buttigieg replied.
He indicated he wasn’t going to ‘have that conversation with you just walking down the street here.’
‘You don’t have a message for them?’ the reporter asked, as the two walked and talked near the Capitol.
‘I do and I’ve shared it with the press many times today and I refer you to those comments,’ Buttigieg responded.
When the reporter pressed again, he declined, saying: ‘No I’m going to refer you to the comments I made to the press because right now I’m taking some personal time and I’m walking down the street.’
She asked whether he would visit East Palestine, something he had revealed on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ earlier Tuesday.
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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg asked to take a reporter’s photo after a brief interview while walking with husband Chasten
The intense crash spewed toxic chemicals into the air, ground and water and has led nearby residents to complain of headaches and other symptoms. East Palestine was evacuated two days after the derailment
After pausing, Buttigieg allowed: ‘Yup I’m going,’ but declined to give a timeframe.
Then Buttigieg, who often represents the administration in combative interviews on Fox News and with other outlets, asked the reporter: ‘Can I get a photo of you?’
The reporter agreed. She later posted video of the encounter on Twitter.
On Wednesday, Trump told residents of East Palestine they are victims of ‘betrayal’ by President Biden and the federal government, and said his visit had finally sparked them to act.
The former president greeted crowds furious at the lack of action from the White House, 19 days after the disaster in Ohio, and brought in thousands of bottles of his own water, cleaning supplies and canned food.
He then stopped at a local McDonald’s where he ordered Big Macs for first responders and members of his team, and handed out signed MAGA hats to the customers.
‘I know this menu better than you do. I probably know it better than anybody in here,’ he told the server and demanded they ‘knock it out fast’ so he could eat it on the plane.
Hundreds of people lined the streets waving MAGA flags and chanting ‘no more Joe’ to greet Trump after he landed in the community on his renovated Trump Force One jet.
In a speech in the local fire department he praised the response from law enforcement and the ‘strength and courage’ of the residents, and said: ‘You are not forgotten’.
He promised to return if the community didn’t get help from the White House and when a reporter asked what message he had for Biden, Trump said: ‘Get over here.’
His visit coincided with Norfolk Southern releasing a statement saying they would take ‘full responsibility’ for the derailment
Trump stopped at a local McDonald’s where he ordered Big Macs for first responders and members of his team, and handed out signed MAGA hats to the customers
Trump stands besides a pallet of his branded water in East Palestine. He brought trucks with his own supplies during his visit to the toxic train derailment site
Buttigieg has faced an intense backlash from both Republicans and Democrats for his slow response to the disaster that has prompted fears the release of toxic chemicals will lead to long-term illnesses including cancer
