Pete Buttigieg says Joe Biden hasn't already 'earned' the Democratic nomination
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg on Thursday tried his best not to directly attack the 2020 race's frontrunner, former Vice President Joe Biden. But he did offer some criticism of his record and argued that he hasn't earned the nomination just yet.
Buttigieg during a live interview with The Washington Post was asked about those who say that Biden has "earned the nomination" because of his experience, to which Buttigieg rebutted, "I think you earn the nomination by winning it. Nobody's earned the nomination in 2019."
He went on to say that to earn the Democratic nomination, each of the candidates must not only present a vision for the party and for America, but also prove that they can beat President Trump. He later cautioned that Democrats could "very well lose again" in 2020 if they're perceived as "replicating a system that let people down," although he insisted that he's "not talking about any one of my competitors" in particular.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Buttigieg during this interview also offered some subtle criticism of Biden's record. When asked if Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) was right when she said that the former vice president was "on the side of the credit card companies," Buttigieg responded, "I have a difference of opinion with anybody who favors credit card companies over consumers." He also criticized the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act that Biden worked on, and when asked if those who supported the bill should be held to account, Buttigieg said, "that's what elections are for."
Still, Buttigieg multiple times avoided more directly attacking Biden, at one point telling the reporter, "I can't help but get the impression there's more interest in one of my competitors than any of the others." Brendan Morrow
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
JD Vance wades into choppy religious waters about wife UshaTHE EXPLAINER By emphasizing his hope that the Second Lady convert to Christianity, the Vice President of the United States is inviting controversy from across the religious spectrum
-
One great cookbook: ‘My Bombay Kitchen’The Week Recommends A personal, scholarly wander through a singular cuisine
-
Is AI to blame for recent job cuts?Today’s Big Question Numerous companies have called out AI for being the reason for the culling
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
