Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called out former President Donald Trump and his supporters for “nonsense” suggestions that they may have played a role in influencing his own visit to disaster-stricken East Palestine, Ohio.
Buttigieg, who has previously come under fire from critics over his response to the train derailment, told CNN that Trump’s visit did not influence his decision to move to the community.
“We’re about to go,” Buttigieg said.
The transportation secretary, who visited the community 20 days after the derailment and one day after Trump, also directed a halt to the former president’s water bottle promotion last month.
″[It was] it’s a little annoying – to see people who do a lot of testing not only the rail safety rules, but the EPA, which is the number one thing between the community and the total loss of responsibility for Norfolk Southern and then give bottled water. and campaign swag?” he said.
Buttigieg also gave his two cents about conservative criticism of his choice of footwear during the visit.
“Who cares what shoes I’m wearing, when I’m there to draw attention to an agenda that will save lives on our railroads?” the transport secretary said.
Buttigieg’s comments came after House Republicans accused him of a slow response to the train derailment.
He told CNN that Rich saw the former president as well as the Fox News host acting as if he “really cares about the forgotten middle of the country.”
He said he should have visited the community sooner and didn’t anticipate the “political fallout” from the disaster.
“Sometimes people need policy work, and sometimes people need performative work,” he said of the response.
“And to get to this level, you have to be ready to serve both.”
CNN noted that Buttigieg was the first transportation secretary to visit a railroad derailment site, a visit Buttigieg said was different.
“I can get technical readings, information on responses,” he said.
“But I think it’s important to listen and see how the public responds, what they’re worried about is just a different way that they can feel on paper.”