Fox News’s Dana Perino Cites Local GOP Congressman’s Satisfaction With Biden’s Response to Train Disaster

Co-host of Fox News’s The Five, Dana Perino, recalled some of her reporting about the ongoing environmental disaster in East Palestine, Ohio on Wednesday in a discussion framed around the failures of the federal government’s response.

Perino offered her sober analysis of the unfolding catastrophe and cited the area’s Republican congressman’s satisfaction with the Biden administration when asked by Jesse Watters to weigh in on who dropped the ball.

“Pete’s not off the hook,” Watters declared, taking a shot at Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

“There’s a big town hall tonight in East Palestine where residents are going to be able to grill officials for answers. And the congressman there is promising to save a seat for the transportation secretary. Dana, so nice job with the EPA guy. What was your read on his level of honesty?” Watters asked, referring to comments earlier about an EPA official clearing the area for people to return to their homes.

“I didn’t think he was being dishonest, but I think that what we found in the morning is, that was in the 10:00 a.m. hour, in the 9:00 a.m. hour, we interviewed the congressman from that area, Republican Bill Johnson,” Perino replied, referencing interviews on her morning news program.

“And I asked him, ‘Are you satisfied with how the Biden administration is doing?’ And he said, ‘Yes. From what I’m hearing on the ground, the federal government is doing what it needs to do. We’re getting the resources that we need,’” Perino continued.

“I don’t know if the problem is at the state level, but with the–but I did feel that the EPA administrator understood but doesn’t know how to deal with is the lack of trust from the community about the data,” Perino continued, adding:

He’s saying that the tests are saying that is fine, but the people actually don’t believe that. And the people who are there, as you saw from our reporting, their report, they’re saying that they are getting headaches, they’re uncomfortable, or they have children that they’re afraid to put in the bathtub. I understood that. But when I heard that, because you can get bottled water and drink bottled water, I can understand that, that’s an expense. But you can do that.

But when the woman said she was afraid to bathe her children, that really struck home to me because I don’t know how that fear leaves. And then later on in the day, Martha MacCallum had an interview with this young woman who said she doesn’t necessarily trust the data. And what she’s really worried about is she’s worked hard. She saved up her money, she bought a home, and now she’s afraid that that investment is going to be worthless. And that’s really sad.

“You can’t blame Americans for not believing what the government tells them, Greg, at this point,” Watters jumped back in, returning to criticizing the government.

“Why isn’t the government telling them to wear masks? I mean, does this seem a little bit more dangerous?” Greg Gutfeld replied, laughing loudly at his own joke.

“But they’re not. They’re not. Everything’s fine,” he added sarcastically.

Watch the full clip above via Fox News

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