Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has just about been destroying any future he may possibly have in leadership positions with his poor handling of the transportation disasters that have wreaked havoc and concern among Americans. According to Bloomberg, Buttigieg has been under fire from both Republicans and Democrats for playing the blame game instead of stepping up as a competent leader.
Buttigieg’s lack of leadership involving the Ohio train derailment that released toxic chemicals into the air in East Palestine, leaving residents with serious health concerns, has sparked calls for him to be fired. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and former speechwriter for Bernie Sanders, David Sirota, are among those suggesting that this position is not the right fit for Buttigieg.
Firing back at those criticizing him, Buttigieg is blaming them for not supporting safety measures in the railroad industry. Playing the blame game seems to be Buttigieg’s main tactic, and it’s not working.
Representative Brian Babin (R-TX), tweeted Tuesday, “shifting blame and avoiding responsibility — a Buttigieg special,” adding that, “under his supervision, our transportation industry is in complete disarray. I will be holding him accountable.”
Sirota called Buttigieg out for not taking immediate action tweeting, “After two weeks of scrutiny, he’s gone from silence, to ‘I’m constrained’ to ‘I’m a fighter!’ Seems the pressure is working. Keep it up — it’ll be necessary to force him to actually deliver on this rhetoric.”
The East Palestine disaster is not the only one to occur under Buttigieg’s command as Transportation Secretary. In December, panic ensued as airlines had a major meltdown with thousands of flights canceled and delayed due to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) system outage.
Although Buttigieg is rejecting speculation that he would seek higher office, now is probably not the best time to make any announcement suggesting such plans.