Top Biden officials keep being MIA during crises

As the Biden administration faces crises in Afghanistan, the southern border and the national supply chain, key officials, including the president, have declined to make visibility a top priority.

Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, best known for his 2020 run for the presidency, did not appoint an interim secretary during his leave, even while supply chain disruptions across the country have left shelves empty ahead of the crucial holiday shopping period. He told CNN on Sunday that the disruptions are expected to continue until next year.

"Pete Buttigieg was completely unqualified to serve as Secretary of Transportation," Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., tweeted Monday. "Now, Pete is absent during a transportation crisis that is hurting working-class Americans."