Although he largely stands by the department’s efforts, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has admitted to minor missteps in response to the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment. In an interview with Nexstar’s Reshad Hudson, Buttigieg admitted he “could have spoken out sooner” as he goes on the defense following a chaotic slew of transportation mishaps. Still, he stressed that “our department was on the ground within hours helping with the response and the investigation.” Buttigieg is gearing up to head to East Palestine as the city deals with the aftermath of the toxic train wreck, he announced on ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday. He plans to call for the industry and Congress to implement new measures and take action on rail safety.