Pete Buittigieg and JD Vance
Pete Buittigieg and JD Vance (Photo: US Gov/Shutterstock)

Whether he’s considered a Vice Presidential pick for Kamala Harris or not, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg continues to be a powerful tool when it comes to slapping down Republicans on TV. 

Buttigieg was a guest on Rachel Maddow’s show on MSNBC yesterday. He was asked about his feelings over the previous 36 hours, following news of Joe Biden quitting the Presidential race. 

Buttigieg praised Biden’s “extraordinary decision and sacrifice” in stepping aside. He said the campaign would focus on “Kamala Harris and her extraordinary leadership. We’re going to talk about Donald Trump and his unfitness for office, and JD Vance and his inability to show any evidence that he believes in anything in any durable way.”

Miaoow!

Watch the clip below.

Or you can watch the whole interview below. 

“Very rich men”

Buttigieg’s comments last night are not the first to dump on Vance. As we reported yesterday, On Friday, Buttigieg was a guest on Real Time with Bill Maher. Buttigieg commented on the support Vance has been shown by the likes of gay Republican mega-donor Peter Thiel and Elon Musk. 

“I know there are a lot of folks who say, ‘What’s going on with some of these Silicon Valley folks veering into Trump world with JD Vance and backing Trump? … I think it’s actually—we’ve made it way too complicated. It’s super simple. These are very rich men who have decided to back the Republican party that tends to do good things for very rich men.”

Buttigieg also commented on Vance’s apparent u-turn regarding Trump. Back in 2018, Vance called himself a never-Trumper and compared him to Hitler. 

“I knew a lot of people like him [Vance],” Buttigieg told Maher. “When I got to Harvard, I found a lot of people like him who would say whatever they needed to get ahead. Five years ago, that seemed like being the anti-Trump Republican. So that’s what he was.”

Is Trump already regretting picking JD Vance?

Meanwhile, it appears Biden’s announcement to quit his campaign has thrown the Trump campaign a curveball. Some are now wondering if JD Vance was a wise Vice Presidential pick. 

Writing in Politico, opinion editor Jamie Dettmer puts it this way. 

“Presumably, Trump chose Vance as his VP candidate largely to fire up the MAGA base and boost the Republican ticket in Rust Belt states. But that was a choice made when Biden was still heading the Democratic ticket. Now that he’s not, Vance may well become a liability.”

He goes on to point out that Donald Trump already has a problem winning support from women voters. Vance is anti-abortion and has also spoken out against women leaving abusive marriages. If Kamala Harris encourages more women to come out to vote, that spells trouble for Trump and Vance. 

The idea that Trump may quickly come to regret his VP pick amused many left-leaning social media users.

“Chemistry”

In an interview Trump and Vance gave Jesse Waters Primetime, which aired yesterday, the two men praised one another. However, it’s worth noting the interview was pre-recorded on Saturday, before Biden’s shock announcement. 

“We’ve always had a good chemistry,” Trump said when asked why he selected Vance.

“Originally, JD was probably not for me,” Trump continued, acknowledging Vance once did not support him.

“But he didn’t know me. And then when we got to know each other, he liked me more than anybody liked me. And he would stick up for me, and he would fight for the worker as much as I fight for the worker. We just had an automatic chemistry.”

Trump went on to mention Vance’s memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. The former President claimed they shared an understanding of how hard it is for ordinary working men and women. 

“And he wrote a book – which was a classic, as you know – and it was all about the working men and women and how they aren’t being treated fairly, and he was right about that. And I understood that maybe better than anyone else … we just have had a great relationship.”

Related*

 

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Once Monthly Annually

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated