Someone Should've Told Buttigieg That Wearing a Vest Is Political Suicide

As Katie noted yesterday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg finally descended into East Palestine, Ohio—and it was a disaster. It begs the question regarding whether there is anyone in this administration who is qualified for their job. We know Joe Biden can’t grow into the office of the presidency. Vice President Kamala Harris was exposed within months of Biden taking office and is now relegated to the bunker of the White House unless necessary. Even then, Biden would do better to keep her away from the spotlight. Pete Buttigieg has evaded the heat due to being on paternity leave, but it’s been a workplace calamity ever since he returned. He bolts while the nation is engulfed in a supply chain crisis. The holiday travel season was a total fiasco after he refused to act on faulty software, leading to Southwest Airlines canceling thousands of flights. And now, he was AWOL over this recent train derailment in Ohio, which could develop into a total environmental catastrophe.

It took two weeks for Biden to approve federal disaster aid to the area. The Environmental Protection Agency has been on the ground offering contradictory and dubious updates about the safety of the drinking water amid the deaths of scores of fish and livestock in the immediate area. The people of this community are rightfully angry and at a loss over who and what to trust. That lack of confidence was rehashed when Buttigieg arrived and said his delay in coming to the region was over him losing his train of thought, a very poor choice of words. Also, what the hell was he thinking taking swipes at Trump? Yet, the vest is what kills me.

Pete Buttigieg is escorted away from media while his press secretary makes herself known & says she’ll answer questions for him - but only if she isn’t recorded on camera…@TPUSA | @DrewHLive pic.twitter.com/sM12BEfJMi
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) February 23, 2023

Pete Buttigieg mispronounces "East Palestine" while making a veiled challenge to Donald Trump after his visit to the Ohio town yesterday. pic.twitter.com/msohMstJXw
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 23, 2023

PETE BUTTIGIEG: "Sorry, I lost my train of thought." pic.twitter.com/ynz6RD0buv
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 23, 2023

The orange vest has been the symbol of failure, incompetence, and overall defeat. Even in the cinema, if you watch the Godfather series, you know oranges are a sign that tragedy is about to strike. And for the Democrats who have donned this apparel, it only accentuated how they were out of their element. In 2004, John Kerry was attacked for being an effete character, weak, and easily played. The Bush team trolled him on that, and he took the bait. He wore an orange vest, grabbed a shotgun, went hunting, and looked ridiculous.

And the latest victim is Mayor Pete:

This morning I’m in East Palestine, Ohio, to see the site of the Norfolk Southern derailment, hear updates from investigators, and meet first responders. USDOT will continue its work to ensure safety and accountability. pic.twitter.com/okA6WI7uzI
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) February 23, 2023

Someone should be fired over this tepid and bumbling response to a crisis in our backyard. Instead, the White House's attitude appears to sound like this: ‘this train derailment happened in some rural conservative town, so screw these people.’ And Buttigieg’s visit didn’t do much to assuage that sentiment.