Buttigieg's Own Story Perfectly Shows How Terrible His Time at Transportation Sec Has Been

By Samantha Chang June 29, 2023 at 7:27am

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was mocked on Twitter after sharing travel disruptions he recently experienced, all while patting himself on the back for supposedly doing a good job.

Buttigieg made the remarks Wednesday while announcing a $23 million infrastructure grant to build a pedestrian bridge and transit hub in Democrat-controlled Orangeburg, South Carolina.

During the event, he was asked about a rash of flight cancellations from coast to coast.

“We got hit with some pretty tough weather. It has affected a lot of flights,” the transportation secretary said. “I reached my hotel room about 2:30 in the morning last night after my flight got canceled and the next one got delayed. A lot of Americans are going through the same thing.”

Despite the flight disruptions, Buttigieg claimed the nationwide transportation system is running better than it did last year.

“What I will say is that overall, we have seen the system perform much better than it did a year ago,” he said. “And I think that reflects the work we’ve done. I think it reflects the airlines stepping up. I want to give them credit where credit’s due.”

The transportation secretary’s self-congratulatory statements are comical in light of the relentless barrage of disruptions that have occurred on his watch.

In 2022, nearly 25 percent of flights landed late, according to an Air Travel Consumer Report released in February.

Should Buttigieg resign?

Last year, more than 180,000 flights were canceled by major U.S. airlines and their regional partners — setting a new record, according to an analysis by the Thrifty Traveler.

“It was the worst year of cancellations on record, with 34% more flights canceled than in 2019 – the last full year of normal air travel when airlines flew significantly more than they did in 2022,” the travel website noted.

“Airlines were still flying less last year than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic … yet they canceled far more flights.”

And while flight cancellations might be down this year compared with last year’s horror show, flight delays are higher, according to Forbes.

While Buttigieg obviously can’t control the weather, it doesn’t appear that he has anything to fix the rash of transportation problems plaguing the nation.

Numerous Twitter users slammed the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor for his tone-deaf remarks.

“Gee, if I were you, I’d complain to the Secretary of Transportation and ask him to do something about it, oh wait, that’s you!” one commenter joked.

Gee, if I were you, I’d complain to the Secretary of Transportation and ask him to do something about it, oh wait, that’s you!🤪🤪🤡

— Willow (@Willowinski) June 28, 2023

Another person was flabbergasted at Buttigieg‘s abysmal lack of self-awareness in complaining about a flight delay.

“And he doesn’t see the irony,” the Twitter user wrote.

And he doesn’t see the irony

— Michael 🇺🇸 Distinguished Fellow of Shankapotomi (@click4mrh) June 28, 2023

Others simply dragged him for his epic incompetence.

So you are a loser of a transportation secretary?

— Joe Wallin (@joewallin) June 28, 2023

“I’m literally in charge and ineffective”

— Ȏ̶͖̽̌̾̈̄̍̀̆̆́͑͌͝akenshield (@OakenshieldVGX) June 29, 2023

Wish there was someone in charge of transportation on a federal level that could prevent these issues.

— BBG, Esq. (@bmetz131) June 28, 2023

The nation’s transportation systems have been atrocious under Buttigieg’s “leadership.”

BREAKING: Fuel tanker explodes on Philadelphia highway, causing an entire overpass to collapse. pic.twitter.com/iwRVgxJZ41

— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) June 11, 2023

#BREAKING – Columbus, Montana

A bridge collapsed, causing a train to derail into Yellowstone River near Columbus, MT

Petroleum products are believed to be leaking from several tanker cars. #ColumbusMT #Yellowstone #Montana #BreakingNews #News #YellowstoneCounty https://t.co/ruOC9bxeXZ pic.twitter.com/hlspozp5Te

— IntelFlash (@IntelFlash) June 24, 2023

HAPPENING NOW: Passengers are stranded after several Amtrak train cars derail after a collision with a truck in Moorpark. pic.twitter.com/sI6Ud7yTen

— KCAL News (@kcalnews) June 28, 2023

While the Biden administration continues to send billions of U.S. tax dollars to fund the war in Ukraine, America’s railway system, streets, highways, bridges and airports are in a shameful state of decay.

Prioritizing foreign aid while ignoring domestic infrastructure problems compromises public safety and endangers the lives of all Americans.

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