Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg took some questions from reporters while in East Palestine, Ohio. Buttigieg is visiting the area where a 38-car train crashed earlier this month. Environmental concerns have been sparked for the town's residents. Unfortunately, though, conservatives are using the incident as a political football.
People like former President Donald Trump, for example, who flew into the area on Wednesday while plagued with multiple scandals. While there, Trump was asked by a reporter about his administration's rollback of Obama-era rail safety regulations. Trump claimed that it "had nothing to do with me," even though there are receipts.
Buttigieg was asked how Trump could help, and he said the former President can show support for reversing the safety regulations that happened during his one term in office.
“One thing he can do is express support for reversing the deregulation that happened on his watch. I heard him say he had nothing to do with it, even though it was in his administration" he said. "So, if he had nothing to do with it and they did it in his administration against his will, maybe he can come out and say that he supports us moving in a different direction."
"We're not afraid to own our policies when it comes to raising the bar on regulation," Buttigieg said.
"I've got to think that him indicating that this is something that everybody, no matter how much you disagree on politics and presidential campaigns, can get behind — higher fines, tougher regulations on safety, Congress untying our hands on breaking rules, all the other things that go with that — that would be a nice thing for him to do," he added.
Meanwhile, Don Jr., who went to Ohio with his father, took issue with Buttigieg on social media because the Transportation Secretary's arms were folded at some point. If the Trumps were not there for a photo-op, you would think they would want Buttigieg to do well in East Palestine.