2020 presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg believes he would not be the United States’ first gay president.
The 37-year-old, who would be the first openly gay nominee of either party if he wins the Democratic presidential nomination, said he would respond to critics who attack his sexuality or age “by explaining where I want to lead this country.”
“People will elect the person who will make the best president. And we have had excellent presidents who have been young. We have had excellent presidents who have been liberal. I would imagine we’ve probably had excellent presidents who were gay — we just didn’t know which ones,” Buttigieg told “Axios on HBO.”
He said “statistically it’s almost certain” there has already been a gay president.
“My gaydar even doesn’t work that well in the present, let alone retroactively. But one can only assume that’s the case,” he said when asked who he thinks was gay.
An estimated 11 million U.S. adults identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender in 2017, according to a Gallup survey released last year.
