Rattled Pete Buttigieg Rep Refuses To Answer Ohio Questions On Camera

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg finally visited East Palestine, Ohio, the site of the catastrophic train derailment. 

Pete ignored reporters during his trip. And when pressed, his liaison took matters into her own hands.

“Why did it take you an entire two-and-a-half weeks to actually get here to respond to East Palestine?” Turning Point USA reporter Savanah Hernandez asked Buttigieg as he walked away in shame.

“Will you apologize to the residents of this city for the slow response? Do you have any apology?”

That's when press secretary Kerry Arndt interjected, “I’m his press person. I can help you."

But Arndt demanded reporters turn off their cameras. She didn't want her answers recorded on camera.

“I’m happy to talk to you guys off-camera," she repeated. 

Buttigieg's press lady then accused Hernandez and her camera of being aggressive:

There's a new tactic: refuse to take accountability and accuse credible reporters of "aggression" for asking the necessary questions. 

Since neither Buttigieg nor Arndt would address why it took them nearly three weeks to visit East Palestine, it has left us to speculate. 

Perhaps it's because Pete has instead focused on the number of white people working on construction sites nationwide. Amid the catastrophe in Ohio, Buttigieg recently railed about the lack of diversity in said field.

Two weeks ago, he claimed white construction workers were taking jobs from minority communities. And that irks him beyond belief.

The U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary has diversity, not toxic chemicals, atop his agenda. 

Or maybe his lack of urgency comes from the lack of pressure from the national media. As of Feb. 15, legacy media networks ABC, CBS, and NBC had spent less than 30 combined minutes covering the train crash.

As we explained last week, the press is unconcerned with atrocities that bedevil Middle America.

East Palestine is a village in northeastern Columbiana County, Ohio, a largely conservative area. Around 72 percent of its residents voted for President Donald Trump in 2020. The population in Columbiana County is more than 92 percent white.

Politicians like Buttigieg responded to corporate media pressure. Thus, his heightened focus on how many white people in hardhats he sees fixing the roads.

But again, we can only speculate as Mr. Buttigieg's press secretary plans only to answer questions in private.

Written by
Bobby Burack is a writer for OutKick where he reports and analyzes the latest topics in media, culture, sports, and politics.. Burack has become a prominent voice in media and has been featured on several shows across OutKick and industry related podcasts and radio stations.