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Pete Buttigieg rep tells ‘aggressive’ reporter to turn off camera at Ohio derail site

A press liaison for Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg refused to discuss her boss’s handling of a toxic chemical spill following this month’s train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, saying she would not answer questions on camera and calling a reporter “aggressive” when she insisted on filming her.

“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 a grim-faced Buttigieg as he entered an event in the town near the Pennsylvania border.

“Will you apologize to the residents of this city for the slow response?” Hernandez persisted as the 41-year-old cabinet member walked away. “Do you have any apology?”

Department of Transportation press secretary Kerry Arndt stepped in, telling Hernandez, “I’m his press person, I can help you,” before adding: “I don’t want to be on camera, please.”

After Hernandez repeated her question about why it took Buttigieg so long to visit, Arndt said, “I’m sorry, I don’t want to do this on camera” before recognizing another reporter.

A grim-faced Pete Buttigieg walked past the reporter into a building without answering any questions. Twitter/@sav_says_
Department of Transportation press secretary Kerry Arndt called the reporter “aggressive” when she insisted on filming her. Twitter/@sav_says_

Before that journalist could finish his question, Arndt repeated: “I’m happy to talk to you guys off camera.”

Hernandez jumped in again to ask why Buttigieg had waited until after former President Donald Trump paid a visit to East Palestine to show up in the town.

“I’m happy to have a conversation with you; I do not want to be on camera,” the press rep answered.

After a further back-and-forth involving a security guard, Arndt repeated: “I would like your cameras to be off and then I’m happy to talk to you guys.”

When Hernandez asked why she didn’t want to be filmed, Arndt said: “I think that is a little aggressive. That’s why.”

When asked what Buttigieg planned to do with a picture he took Tuesday night of a reporter who similarly questioned him, Arndt said once again: “I’m happy to answer your question, I would like you guys to not have your cameras on.”

At that point, Hernandez jumped in front of the camera to call out Arndt, which the rep said was “not appropriate.”

Buttigieg snapped late Tuesday at Daily Caller reporter Jenni Taer for invading his “personal time” by asking about the East Palestine crisis while he was out for a walk with his husband, Chasten.

“I’d refer you to about a dozen interviews I’ve given today, and if you’d like to arrange a conversation, make sure to reach out to our press office,” Buttigieg said. “I’m going to refer you to the comments I made to the press, because right now I’m taking some personal time and I’m walking down the street.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told a reporter he was on “personal time” when asked about plans to travel to East Palestine, Ohio, to view the train derailment. Twitter / @JennieSTaer

Buttigieg later asked Taer if he could take a photo of her, but did not say why.

The Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment prompted authorities to start a controlled burn of hazardous chemicals to avoid a potential explosion. Residents have since shared concerns over the effects on air and water quality in the region.

“As the secretary said, he would go when it is appropriate and wouldn’t detract from the emergency response efforts,” a DOT spokesperson told The Post Thursday. “The secretary is going now that the EPA has said it is moving out of the emergency response phase and transitioning to the long-term remediation phase.

The Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine alarmed residents after authorities burned hazardous chemicals. AP

“His visit also coincides with the NTSB issuing its factual findings of the investigation into the cause of the derailment and will allow the secretary to hear from USDOT investigators who were on the ground within hours of the derailment to support the NTSB’s investigation,” the spokesperson added. “The Environmental Protection Agency is leading the federal response to hold Norfolk Southern accountable and make the company clean up its mess. That is how it works in response to a chemical spill. The Department of Transportation will continue to do its part by helping get to the bottom of what caused the derailment and implementing rail safety measures, and we hope this sudden bipartisan support for rail safety will result in meaningful changes in Congress.”

Thirty-eight rail cars derailed in the Ohio crash and fire damaged 12 other cars, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on the disaster.

Buttigieg also faced criticism in December for having taken a “personal trip” to Portugal at the height of negotiations to avert a nationwide rail worker strike, and was slammed for going on paternity leave at the height of the supply chain crisis in the fall of 2021.