Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is again attracting controversy in the wake of the Ohio train derailment, with elected officials from both parties questioning his ability to lead the department and respond to crises.
Buttigieg, tapped for the position after attracting presidential buzz as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has found himself under frequent fire, leading to concerns about his fitness for the role and whether his performance harms his political future.
REPUBLICANS PAN PETE BUTTIGIEG’S HANDLING OF OHIO TRAIN DISASTER
“His problem has been from the beginning, no matter the controversy, that he’s late to the situation,” said Marc Clauson, a professor at Cedarville University in Ohio. “It’s almost as if he’s waiting to see how the political winds are blowing before he says anything.”
After 50 train cars derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, and subsequently caught fire, vinyl chloride, phosgene, hydrogen chloride, and other gases were emitted into the air and water. The train crashed on Feb. 3 while traveling from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania, and burned throughout the weekend. Buttigieg did not publicly address the disaster for 10 days.
That led to waves of harsh criticism, mostly but not exclusively from Republicans.
New Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) released a lengthy statement demanding answers and providing constituents with resources to get help, while Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) called for Buttigieg to resign. Vance and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) also sent Buttigieg a letter requesting more information on the Department of Transportation’s “oversight of the United States’ freight train system.”
They were notably joined by progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who called for “direct action” from him to address the tragedy.
When combined with other controversies, Buttigieg appears to be dragging down the Biden administration and harming his own political future, argues Republican strategist Doug Heye.
“Buttigieg came to Washington with high expectations,” Heye said. “But he’s been AWOL on issues and crises directly impacting his department, and frustrations with that from Republicans and Democrats are beginning to show — and will certainly show more prominently should he run again for president.”
The transportation secretary generated headlines in October 2021 when it was learned that he had been on paternity leave for two months and again more recently for his use of private jets and role in the Federal Aviation Administration’s massively disruptive software system outage.
He has also come under fire for what critics perceive as political statements that fail to address crucial issues, such as his 2021 claim that there is “racism physically built into some of our highways.”
In the interim between the Ohio train derailment and his first public statements about it, Buttigieg said at a conference that there were often too many white workers on construction projects in “neighborhoods of color.”
Still, it’s debatable how much the average Midwestern voter is tuned into the moves of Buttigieg or any other transportation secretary, argues Ohio Northern University professor Robert Alexander.
“He has largely stayed out of the public’s eye but continues to attract attention as a strong potential presidential candidate among Democrats,” said Alexander. “Most Americans are not so plugged into American politics to know much about Buttigieg. Regarding the East Palestine situation, most Ohioans are taking their cues from Gov. Mike DeWine [R-OH].”
Buttigieg’s struggles may lend credence to the contention that the most successful transportation secretaries are the ones who rarely make the news.
He landed the position after winning the 2020 Iowa caucus and later dropping out of the presidential race to support President Joe Biden. More recently, Buttigieg has moved his residence to Michigan, leading to speculation he could seek the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).
While he’s found the Cabinet waters choppy, Buttigieg’s tenure heading the DOT could also lend credence to another contention — all press is good press.
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“More people know who he is now than did two years ago,” said Colby College professor Sandy Maisel. “Go down the list of the Democrats who ran in 2020; where are they? Buttigieg is getting the most press, and he’s getting more press every time they start a new construction project. He’s a smart politician.”
