Pete Buttigieg and his people REALLY don’t like cameras or questions. Given the optics of his belated visit to East Palestine, Ohio, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Pete doesn’t want to go on record about anything.

We already saw evidence of that the other evening when he refused to answer questions, told the reporter he was on “personal time” and then snapped a photo of her. Not only that, he had informed the media that he’d visit East Palestine when “the time was right.” 

Evidently the timing is right to visit the day after President Trump spent hours there visiting with the residents of East Palestine, buying the first responders lunch, and delivering bottled water and canned goods. 

Buttigieg’s visit to East Palestine comes three weeks after the train derailment.

And, it’s super frustrating that the GOP is pouncing and seizing on his lack of inaction! 

Bates, the White House spokesperson, also called it misguided for Republicans to expect Buttigieg to personally rush to the site of a train wreck.

“It’s like them pretending they think the State Department takes point on rescuing people in the water during hurricanes instead of the Coast Guard,” Bates said. “Case in point, under the last administration EPA was also in the lead on similar derailments.”

Buttigieg’s critics include Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has accused him of being “m.i.a. on the derailment” and urged Biden to fire him last week.

“For two years, Secretary Buttigieg downplayed and ignored crisis after crisis, while prioritizing topics of little relevance to our nation’s transportation system,” Rubio wrote.

During his visit to East Palestine on Thursday, Buttigieg plans to meet with community members, NTSB officials and DOT employees.

“During the initial response phase, I’ve followed the norm of staying out of the way of the independent NTSB,” he tweeted Wednesday. “Now that we’re into the policy phase, I’ll be visiting.”

The Administration spin is that, this derailment and the having to blow toxic chemicals in the air wouldn’t have happened if Trump hadn’t abandoned or ditched key railroad safety rules! Two problems with that. This from Jennifer Homendy, the current NTSB chair:

Some are saying the ECP (electronically controlled pneumatic) brake rule, if implemented, would’ve prevented this derailment. FALSE – here’s why…
The ECP braking rule would’ve applied ONLY to HIGH HAZARD FLAMMABLE TRAINS. The train that derailed in East Palestine was a MIXED FREIGHT TRAIN containing only 3 placarded Class 3 flammable liquids cars.

This means even if the rule had gone into effect, this train wouldn’t have had ECP brakes.

Also, this new information via the Washington Post:

The crew of the Norfolk Southern train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, received an alert about an overheating wheel bearing and was trying to slow the train before it came off the tracks, according to a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report released Thursday.

How about that? An overheated wheel bearing caused an axle to fail leading to the train derailment. So, NOT the braking issue that Democrats and the Biden Administration have spent the last three weeks blaming President Trump for.

Transportation Sec. Buttigieg on former President Trump's planned visit to East Palestine, Ohio on Wednesday:

"I don't know exactly what he's planning to do there, especially since his administration was anti-regulation and pro-industry every step of the way." pic.twitter.com/FSBCcHP1h3

— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 21, 2023

So much for THAT narrative. 

Buttigieg’s visit today, after three weeks of nothing, doesn’t help. The optics are bad all the way around. There is NO REASON why Buttigieg couldn’t have visited East Palestine prior to this. But I guess visiting the town and having actual discussions with the residents wasn’t as sexy as him tromping around the railroad site being photographed and video’d acting all concerned. 

Those cameras were totally fine. And his visit absolutely isn’t political!

EAST PALESTINE, OHIO:

I confronted @SecretaryPete about the lack of confidence from the American public to do his job and whether or not he will apologize for the dramatically delayed response to the #eastpalastine Norfolk Southern train derailment which released toxic… https://t.co/Tekd2nbyR8 pic.twitter.com/TBXaR3M4LQ

— Kalen D’Almeida (@fromkalen) February 23, 2023

According to Pete’s press secretary. Asking questions is “aggressive” and she won’t answer ANY questions unless the cameras and recording is turned off. 

Pete Buttigieg is escorted away from media while his press secretary makes herself known & says she’ll answer questions for him – but only if she isn’t recorded on camera…@TPUSA | @DrewHLive pic.twitter.com/sM12BEfJMi

— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) February 23, 2023

If the visit was SO important and the timing was absolutely right for this, then why isn’t Pete taking questions? Why is his press secretary refusing to provide the media and thus residents of East Palestine with information? 

It wasn’t just Pete and his crew that didn’t want cameras or questions. It was the Norfolk Southern folks who were dodging the media as well. 

As for Pete’s delay in getting to East Palestine and talking with residents, working with the railroad and overseeing the NTSB investigation? It was a matter of “balance.” 

Here's how Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg responded to a question on whether it was a mistake to not visit East Palestine, Ohio, sooner, following the train derailment pic.twitter.com/Va2fqmJwdy

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 23, 2023

Staged press briefings are totally fine. Having to answer questions you don’t want from pesky reporters is bad and turn those cameras OFF pretty please! 

The optics are bad regarding how all entities within the Biden Administration have mishandled the response. It isn’t just Buttigieg that needs to answer questions on camera about his lack of response. FEMA needs to answer as to why this disaster didn’t warrant action on their part. The EPA needs to be more forthcoming as well. 

That said, Pete Buttigieg’s visit was indeed political. Why else would cameras and questions only be allowed in certain instances? 

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