WATCH: Pete Says He Handled ‘Lots of Natural Disasters’ as Mayor of America’s 310th Biggest Town

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg defended his handling of the toxic train derailment in Ohio Tuesday, saying his vast experience as the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana helped prepare him for the emergency.

“The administration has come under some fire from the Mayor of East Palestine who said it took nearly two weeks for the White House to contact him…what’s your response to that and when are you planning to go to East Palestine?”

“When I go, the focus is going to be on action. Look, I was mayor of my hometown for eight years. We dealt with a lot of natural disasters.”