On Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told a reporter that he was “taking some personal time” amid the train derailment crisis in East Palestine, Ohio, and threateningly took a picture of the reporter for asking him questions about the disaster.
The Daily Caller News Foundation’s Jennie Taer had caught up to Buttigieg in Washington, D.C., to ask him questions about the train derailment. Buttigieg refused to answer her questions, told her he was taking “some personal time,” and took a picture of her after less than a minute of questioning.
“I asked Secretary Buttigieg about the crisis in East Palestine and I guess he didn’t like that so he took a pic of me. I’m just doing my job, sir,” Taer wrote on Twitter, with a video of the brief encounter.
I asked Secretary Buttigieg about the crisis in East Palestine and I guess he didn’t like that so he took a pic of me. Im just doing my job, sir. @DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/HjKNgF25FJ
— Jennie Taer (@JennieSTaer) February 22, 2023
“Hi, how are you, Jennie Taer at The Daily Caller News Foundation,” she said as she approached Buttigieg. “What do you have to say to the folks in Ohio — East Palestine — who are suffering right now?”
“Well, I’d refer you to about a dozen interviews I’ve given today,” Buttigieg replied. “And if you’d like to arrange a conversation you should reach out to our press office but I’m not going to have that conversation with you just walking on the street.”
“You don’t have a message for them?” Taer asked.
“I do, and I’ve shared it with the press many times today and I’d refer you to those comments,” he said.
“Would you mind sharing it with us?” Taer asked.
“No, I’m going to refer you to the comments that I made to the press because right now I’m taking some personal time and I’m walking down the street,” Buttigieg responded.
Taer asked the Transportation Secretary if he planned to visit East Palestine, and he said he intended to go but refused to offer any details as to when.
“I’ll share that when I’m ready,” he said, and stopped and faced her. Buttigieg then asked, “Can I get a photo of you?”
