Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg rebuked the Republican Party for trying to appeal to blue-collar workers in the election, saying the party has historically been opposed to policies that help these voters.
Republicans have pushed for the working-class vote in this election cycle, such as by inviting International Brotherhood of Teamsters President Sean O’Brien to speak at the Republican National Convention. Former President Donald Trump, the party’s 2024 presidential nominee, also selected Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) as his running mate, who had a working-class background before entering politics.
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“Look, I’m under no illusions that elections are just a policy exercise,” Buttigieg said on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. “A lot of it is vibes. A lot of it is style. But if your party has been systematically against unions, against a higher minimum wage, against things like paid family leave, against overtime, then just because you found Hulk Hogan and Kid Rock and put them on a stage doesn’t make you a friend of the working man.”
Professional wrestling icon Hulk Hogan gave his endorsement to Trump and called him “the biggest patriot.” During musician Kid Rock‘s appearance, he told the audience he needed “everyone to put a fist bump in the air” and proceeded to yell, “Fight, fight, fight,” referencing how Trump behaved after narrowly avoiding an assassination attempt.
Regarding Vance, Buttigieg reiterated a running claim Democrats have made on the Republican 2024 ticket, calling him “odd.” Buttigieg contended that Vance was wrong when the senator argued people without children do not have any “physical commitment” to the nation’s future, citing his own time serving in the military in Afghanistan.
Buttigieg was also asked about President Joe Biden’s decision to bow out of the 2024 race and said there is “incredible energy” within the Democratic Party now that Vice President Kamala Harris is the presumptive nominee. He said this new candidate has gotten voters “fired up.”
The transportation secretary is rumored to be on Harris’s short list for possible vice presidential candidates, with Buttigieg saying, “You know” when someone is being vetted.
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Besides Buttigieg, other possible candidates include Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA). Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) was also rumored to be in the running, though Cooper stated on X that now is not “the right time” for him to be vice president.
Outside of working-class voters, the Trump campaign has reached out to Generation Z voters, with the former president joining TikTok last month. Trump has also done a podcast interview with social media influencer and boxer Logan Paul and just posted two TikTok videos with Paul’s brother, Jake Paul.