Tulsi Gabbard slammed the Biden administration and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for their response to the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment, claiming they see the community affected by the chemical toxin release as "some kind of annoyance."

She commended the residents of the Ohio town for coming together to face "all the adversity and challenges" after a train derailed three weeks ago while carrying hazardous materials. The wreckage has negatively affected the environment and some residents' health. Buttigieg made his first trip to East Palestine on Thursday.

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Gabbard said she admired the resiliency and strength that the residents had to have on their own while they waited for Buttigieg to arrive.

"They are feeling like they have been forgotten, left behind, and begging for help," she said. "It points to the bigger problem that I see here, how the people here in East Palestine and other communities across the country are viewed by those in the Biden administration as though they are some kind of annoyance."

Buttigieg has come under severe scrutiny from both Republicans and Democrats, who say his response to the incident is less than desired. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) criticized him for being "absent on the job."

The secretary admitted Tuesday that he "could have spoken out sooner" about the situation, but he assured the public that his officials have been working with local, state, and federal departments since day one.

However, Gabbard says the response is too little, too late.

"It’s just horrible because they deserve better," she said of the East Palestine residents. "They deserve people like Secretary Buttigieg, President Biden, and others to wake up, thinking about, 'What can I do for these people who are hurt and are afraid and concerned for their children and their future?' And, unfortunately, they aren't getting that."

Gabbard, a Fox News contributor and a former Democrat, flew to East Palestine on Tuesday and said she spoke to residents who do not trust the government's claims that there is no danger to the environment now and that the water is now safe to drink. Several people in the area are reporting symptoms of rashes, sore throats, nausea, and burning sensations in their eyes.

"You can understand the frustration and anger that people feel here for that very reason, that their health and well-being, the safety of themselves, their kids, and their families did not appear to be at the forefront," she said. "The priority was keeping those trains running again rather than making sure that this place is actually safe."

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She compared the Ohio train derailment to a fuel leakage in Hawaii that affected the water supply for many military families.

"They were told, 'Don't worry, nothing to see here,'" Gabbard said. "They started getting sick. Their kids are getting sick. Their pets were dying. They were told, 'Trust us,' and clearly, they shouldn't have."