Pete Buttigieg revealed that he learned President Joe Biden was ending his reelection campaign in the same social media post he announced to the rest of the world.
The Transportation Secretary discussed with Daily Show host Jon Stewart how Biden is faring after he ended his campaign and handed the reins to Vice President Kamala Harris and whether he felt “intimidated” by doing so.
Buttigieg is being considered as a possible running mate for Harris, though new reports suggest she has narrowed the list down to three other men: Arizona Gov. Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Questions continue to arise about the events that led to Biden dropping out of the 2024 race, including whether Harris and others were involved in a “cover-up” of the extent of the president’s cognitive decline.
“Obviously, you know, she represents a lot of continuity with the values of the Biden-Harris campaign and the Biden-Harris administration, but also a different messenger, a different style, a different approach, and people are clearly very enthusiastic and excited about that,” Buttigieg said in the Monday interview.
‘I know who I am.’
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he learned that President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign the same way everyone else did: from his social media post.
Stewart then asked if this enthusiasm had “hurt Biden’s feelings,” acknowledging that it was a “strange question” to ask but that there was clearly a divide between how voters felt about his candidacy and that of his vice president.
“I don’t know,” Buttigieg said.
“I think even now we’re perhaps underestimating how rare it is, historically speaking, to literally be the most powerful person in the world and to give up power,” the Transportation Secretary continued. “Just because it’s the right thing to do.”
Biden’s July 21 announcement came as no surprise to most Americans. It came after weeks of pressure from within the Democratic Party for the 81-year-old candidate to “pass the torch” after his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump, 78, last month.
Harris, 59, quickly took over Biden’s campaign infrastructure and seamlessly transitioned to becoming the de facto Democratic nominee for 2024 last week when she garnered enough delegate support to win the nomination.
Buttigieg told Stewart he didn’t know such an announcement would be made.
Buttigieg is emerging as a possible vice presidential pick for Harris as she narrows her search.
“I found out like everyone else,” she said, adding that it was her husband who told her.
“I was actually on a plane, appropriately enough, taxiing, and Chasten was sitting next to me scrolling through Twitter and he saw the post, and then we found out the same way everyone else did,” Buttigieg said.
He admitted: “And yes, since then, I think a lot of us are dizzy. A lot has changed. But part of what has changed is this incredible energy that we have now.”
Stewart asked if Biden was pressured to end his re-election bid.
“No! I mean, that’s the point, isn’t it? It was his decision and he made that decision,” Buttigieg explained.
“And people can question the manner or the timing of it, but at the end of the day, it was his choice, he made that choice, and it must have been an extraordinarily difficult choice, but also the right choice.”
Buttigieg said Sunday he believes voters are now more concerned about Trump’s suitability for office, especially since he now faces a younger candidate in November.
“I’m pretty sure voters are concerned about President Trump’s age and mental acuity compared to Kamala Harris, who represents a younger generation,” Buttigieg told Fox News Sunday host Shannon Bream. “And how could anyone not look at what he’s saying, the ramblings on the campaign trail, and not be a little bit concerned?”
“Americans are worried about him in many ways and he will no longer run against President Biden,” he continued.
Harris took over Biden’s 2024 campaign infrastructure after he dropped out last weekend
Bream pressed Buttigieg on whether Harris knew the extent of Biden’s mental and physical decline as a new poll found a large share of Americans believe the vice president was involved in a “cover-up.”
“We all know how he’s doing,” he said. “Our country has seen our president lead and yes, we’ve also seen the fact that he’s 10 years older than he was a few years ago.”
“But unlike Republicans, who in the Trump cult of personality will look at Donald Trump and say he’s perfectly fine even though he seemed unable to tell the difference between Nikki Haley and Nancy Pelosi, even though he rambles on about electrocuting sharks and Hannibal Lecter, even though he’s clearly older and stranger than when America first met him, they say he’s strong as an ox, that he leaps tall buildings in a single bound,” Buttigieg said.
He added: “We don’t have that kind of distorted reality on our side.”
