In a striking reentry into the political arena, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg issued a clear warning to fellow Democrats: don’t campaign on nostalgia. Speaking to MSNBC’s Jen Psaki in a Tuesday interview, Buttigieg urged his party to resist any temptation to promise a “return to normal” — arguing that the pre-Trump status quo helped create the very conditions that gave rise to his political dominance.
“The truth is, protoauthoritarian governments do not just come out of nowhere,” Buttigieg said. “We would not be here in this situation if the government, the economy, and the politics of our country were healthy. They’ve been unhealthy for a long time.”
That acknowledgment marks one of the most candid assessments from a high-profile Democrat about the deep-rooted problems in the American system that existed before Donald Trump — and a direct challenge to those in the party who still look back at the Obama-Biden years as a golden age.
Buttigieg, who exited the Biden administration in January, didn’t mince words about the electoral implications of backward-looking messaging.
“If my party seems like it’s calling for a return to a status quo from before, that would be both substantively wrong, and politically it would fail,” he said.
The message is clear: in a volatile, post-Trump landscape, Democrats must offer something new, not just familiar. While some factions of the party have leaned on themes of stability and decency, Buttigieg is calling for bold policy differentiation — particularly on core economic issues like taxes, wages, and health care.
“It is a question that we have to make very clear to everybody: how your everyday life is different if we’re in charge compared to if they’re in charge.”
This marked one of Buttigieg’s first high-profile media appearances since stepping away from public office — and his timing is deliberate. The former South Bend mayor and Navy veteran is scheduled to travel to Iowa this month for a town hall hosted by VoteVets, a prominent liberal veterans group. That trip, notably to a key early presidential contest state, is already fueling speculation about his 2028 ambitions.
Pete Buttigieg: “There are a lot of voters who, for whatever reason — and Democrats might be shocked by this — but for whatever reason, did not find any of the things they’ve seen so far about Donald Trump to be disqualifying.” pic.twitter.com/pAKkGroCLb
— Catch Up (@CatchUpFeed) May 8, 2025
In Iowa, Buttigieg is expected to highlight the impacts of President Trump’s first 100 days of his current term on the veterans’ community — a sharp contrast meant to set the stage for future comparisons and campaigns.
