Pete Buttigieg had kind words for the Tea Party in 2010, and it isn’t going over well with some 2020 Democratic voters.
The South Bend, Indiana, mayor spoke to a Tea Party-affiliated group called Citizens for Common Sense while running for Indiana state treasurer nine years ago. In the speech, he acknowledged that some found it odd that he would speak to the group as a Democrat.
“I have to admit, as a Democrat, that many of my friends and supporters looked at me as if I was absolutely nuts when I suggested that I would be coming tonight to speak with a group that’s often identified with the Tea Party,” Buttigieg told the room.
He added, “There are some, especially in my party, who think the Tea Party’s a wholly owned subsidiary of the Republican Party. But there are many others who believe that the Tea Party’s motivated by real concerns about the direction of our government and the responses of our government to citizens.”
Footage of Buttigieg’s 2010 comments, described in a recent New York Times report on the candidate, resurfaced this week and sparked outrage with some on the Left.
Wow. Just unreal… @PeteButtigieg literally sidling up to racist Tea Partiers. And he’s got it wrong: @GOP is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Tea Party- #FreedomCaucus-anti-evidence-Benghazi-email-Area 51 nutcases.
Yet another “Dem” who feels a need 2 apologize for Democrats. https://t.co/t5NIKYobmt
— Jodi Jacobson (@jljacobson) November 19, 2019
He’s done. Absolutely done. Not a single Dem of color gonna vote for a dude who backed the goddamn Tea Party.
Vaya con dios, bro https://t.co/wrFUov1KSM— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) November 19, 2019
Behind the Tea Party wave were two free market loving billionaire brothers: Charles and David Koch. They pumped millions of dollars into electing race-baiting, right-wing fringe candidates willing to deregulate their businesses and lower their taxes. https://t.co/pcP5msfDqc
— Walker Bragman (@WalkerBragman) November 19, 2019
Other 2020 Democratic campaigns used Buttigieg’s statements against him too. Sawyer Hackett, the national press secretary for Julian Castro’s presidential bid, tweeted out the clip hoping to highlight Buttigieg’s remarks.
Campaigning for state treasurer in 2010:
“There’s some who think the Tea Party’s a wholly owned subsidiary of the Republican Party. But there are many others who believe the Tea Party’s motivated by real concerns about the direction of our government” pic.twitter.com/Wgqam813Ok
— Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) November 19, 2019
Sean Savett, Buttigieg’s rapid response communications director, pushed back on those criticizing his candidate’s remarks Monday night by noting that 2020 front-runner and former Vice President Joe Biden had made similar statements during the height of the Tea Party, as did President Barack Obama.
In the video, Pete says he “comes from a very different perspective” than the Tea Party, but since his opponent wouldn’t debate him in the 2010 State Treasurer race, he showed up to this “Meet the Candidates” event to share the stage with his opponent.
— Sean Savett (@ssavett) November 19, 2019
Buttigieg, 37, has been climbing in the polls in recent weeks. He topped the latest poll from the Des Moines Register in which he leads second-place candidate Elizabeth Warren by 9 points.
