(Mark Pellin, Headline USA) Instead of paying a long overdue visit to East Palestine, Ohio, where a train derailment erupted into a toxic plume earlier this month and environmental impact concerns have grown worse by the day, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tried to downplay the seriousness of the disaster, even as another huge train derailment on Thursday spread more alarm and concern.
“Look, rail safety is something that has evolved a lot over the years, but there’s clearly more that needs to be done,” Buttigieg said in an interview. “While this horrible situation has gotten a particularly high amount of attention, there are roughly 1,000 cases a year of a train derailing.”
It happened again Thursday in Michigan. The incident was reportedly less dire than the Ohio disaster and no hazardous material was released as part of the multi-car train derailment, according to the Detroit Free Press. One railcar contained liquid chlorine but was not impacted.
🚨#BREAKING: Multiple authorities are responding to a massive train derailment outside of Detroit ⁰⁰📌#Vanburen | #Michigan⁰
Currently multiple authorities are responding to a massive train derailment in Van Buren Township Michigan. Officials are reporting that only one car in… https://t.co/kb91u41ZeY pic.twitter.com/CPCcehiuB9— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) February 16, 2023
The Michigan wreck only served to highlight the Biden administration’s incompetence and lack of appropriate oversight, said Tudor Dixon, the state’s former Republican gubernatorial candidate.
“Pete Buttigieg is a complete failure as transportation secretary and the latest derailment in Michigan is all the more reason he is unfit to serve,” Dixon told Newsmax.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson shared that assessment and let loose a blistering indictment of Buttigieg’s lack of response to the plague of transportation disasters that have unfolded in recent days. Carlson called for Buttigieg to be fired, along with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro for their kowtowing to Norfolk Southern’s demands for a so-called release-and-burn of toxins to clear the rail track as fast as possible.
“According to Pete Buttigieg, Biden officials were on the scene. Yet somehow they never said a word about the mushroom cloud until pictures about it evoked outrage on social media,” Carlson said. “Of course they didn’t. They didn’t even notice. It had nothing to do with equity or climate change. East Palestine is a poor white town that voted for Trump so, honestly, who cares?”
Carlson said it was obvious that no one in the Biden administration did, a failing he called “an atrocity.”
“The people whose indifference made it possible should lose their jobs, beginning with Pete Buttigieg and extending to governors Josh Shapiro and Mike DeWine,” he said. “They didn’t care and they got caught not caring.”
The lack of meaningful response drew criticism from several lawmakers, who demanded accountability instead of more obfuscation and blame-casting.
The Dem Playbook:
1. Blame Trump
2. Blame Trump
3. Blame TrumpWhat an embarrassment. https://t.co/IGb8U4OIXy
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) February 16, 2023
“I am disappointed DOT Secretary Buttigieg is engaging in politics rather than addressing the very serious transportation crises we are seeing playing out across America,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
VERY troubling. @JDVance1 is right. This needs to be cleaned up NOW. https://t.co/spG1eq8QpJ
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 16, 2023
“Pete Buttigieg needs to visit East Palestine and explain himself,” said RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel. “If he can’t provide the answers Americans deserve, he should resign.”
In the wake of the continued hazardous environmental fallout and stumbling response from the administration, the White House threw its full endorsement behind the embattled transportation secretary. When asked during a Thursday media briefing, with Buttigieg still AWOL from Ohio, if Biden had confidence in Buttigieg, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre doubled-down.
“I can answer that very quickly and very, with quick confidence from here that we do have absolute confidence in Mayor Pete. I always say that – in Secretary Buttigieg,” she gushed.
Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, was less impressed and even personally invited Buttigieg to a town hall meeting in East Palestine.
.@SecretaryPete, hope to see you tonight at the town hall in #EastPalestine. I’ll save a seat for you.
It’s past time you hear the concerns of residents affected by the train derailment. @USDOT
— Rep. Bill Johnson (@RepBillJohnson) February 15, 2023
Buttigieg was a no-show.
TWO WEEKS after the toxic train derailment in Ohio, residents are still asking, “Where’s Pete Buttigieg?”
The mayor responds, “I don’t know. Your guess is as good as me.” pic.twitter.com/vjVrWRlyp4
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 16, 2023
“Any Presidential aspirations Buttigieg had before getting handed this position he has now are dead,” tweeted Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. “He might be the biggest Cabinet failure in the entire Biden Regime… and you’re talking about a Cabinet that includes Mayorkas.”
