Politics
In a reshaped race, the transportation secretary has dialed up his role as a key political messenger for the Democratic Party.
By Ian Duncan, Washington Post
On Sunday, Pete Buttigieg was on Fox News, challenging the “warped reality” that an aging Donald Trump is “perfectly fine … even though he’s rambling about electrocuting sharks.” On Monday, he was on “The Daily Show,” denouncing Trump’s running mate, JD Vance. And on Wednesday, he proclaimed on MSNBC that the former president is afraid to debate Vice President Harris.
“Precisely because it’s going so well for Kamala Harris out of the gate,” Buttigieg said, “I expect that Trump and his Republican Party will get crazier.”
The Buttigieg blitz – at least 30 media appearances, a Washington news conference and trips to two swing states over the past two weeks – is viewed as a kind of an ongoing audition to join Harris atop the Democratic ticket. On Monday, Buttigieg acknowledged that he is “probably” being vetted in a process expected to reach its conclusion in the next few days.
But while he is seen as a long shot for VP, the blizzard of Buttigieg appearances is thrilling his legions of fans on social media, who see the young Midwestern mayor turned transportation secretary as an adept messenger for a reshaped, post-Biden campaign.
Fans who have stuck by Buttigieg since his 2020 White House bid often identify themselves with a bee emoji – an insider reference to his memorable encounter with a bee during an Iowa campaign rally – or recently more simply with a dragon.Across TikTok, X, YouTube and Threads, they share videos of his appearances and boost his remarks, adding notes saying he “NAILS it,” “SCHOOLS Fox host” or simply “slays.”
“This is why people love seeing you go on those shows, because that framing is perfect,” Daily Show host Jon Stewart marveled Monday after Buttigieg used his military service in Afghanistan to mock Vance’s claim that childless people are less committed to the future of the country. (“I didn’t have kids back then, but I will tell you, especially when there was a rocket attack going on, my commitment to this country felt pretty physical,” Buttigieg said to enthusiastic applause.)
The sudden transformation of the presidential race – Vance’s selection, Biden’s withdrawal, Harris’s rise – has coincided with a frenzied month for the aviation system, giving Buttigieg an opportunity to demonstrate the Transportation Department’s powers to stand up for passengers’ rights even as he serves as a political attack dog for Democrats on broader issues.
His current media sprint began July 19, when a global computer outage led to a wave of flight cancellations around the world. On X, Buttigieg said his department had reminded airlines of their obligations to stranded passengers. And as Delta Air Lines struggled to recover from the outage, canceling thousands of flights, he later announced that his department was launching an investigation into the situation.
That Friday night, however, he switched to campaign mode on Bill Maher’s show, delivering an initial response to Vance’s selection as Trump’s running mate a few days earlier.
“When I got to Harvard, I found a lot of people like him who would say whatever they needed to to get ahead. And five years ago, that seemed like being the anti-Trump Republican, so that’s what he was,” Buttigieg said, noting that Vance once referred to Trump as “cultural heroin” and “Hitler.”
The next night, Buttigieg popped up at a fundraiser with Harris in Provincetown, Mass. And the day after that – as Biden tweeted his decision to withdraw from the race and questions swirled around the path forward -Buttigieg joined a wave of senior Democrats to endorse Harris.
Since then, he’s appeared on TV regularlyand not just on friendly networks like MSNBC. For years, Buttigieg has accepted invitations to appear on Fox News, venturing where other leading Democrats are often anxious to go. His appearances on Fox often attract extra attention from supporters, who highlight his focus in the face of tough questioning and revel in his ability to politely but firmly control the conversation.
Tim Miller, a former spokesman for Jeb Bush and the Republican National Committee, said Buttigieg may not be the ideal messenger for Fox’s conservative audience, but that he likely appeals to a slice of independent-minded viewers.
“Showing up does matter,” Miller said. “There are a lot of Democrats who are scared to go on Fox, who don’t think that it’s valuable, that there aren’t any persuadable voters watching Fox. That’s just not true.”
The Trump campaign did not respond to questions about Buttigieg’s attacks.
In a field of potential running mates that includes three governors and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Buttigieg is not considered among the leading contenders. Even some accounts sporting bee emojis have expressed doubt that America is ready to vote for a ticket that would include both the first woman president and the first gay vice president.
Whatever happens, Buttigieg is expected to continue to play a significant role in the campaign, keeping up a steady stream of media appearances and events. A TikTok account named Buttigieg Wins catalogues his clips – some of which have racked up millions of views – and the Harris campaign has shared them on X.
Nina Smith, a Democratic strategist and traveling press secretary for Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign, said Buttigieg is capturing the renewed excitement Democrats feel about the election since Harris has consolidated support and begun to build momentum.
“It’s now become this groundswell of organic excitement,” Smith said, “and he’s channeling that.”
Extra News Alerts
Get breaking updates as they happen.
