Pete Buttigieg speaks with Charlamagne Tha God during an event on economic struggles in the Black community, Jan. 23, 2020. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg seemed shocked to learn that some Black Americans are disappointed with the Biden administration.
During an interview with Charlamagne Tha God on “The Breakfast Club,” Buttigieg seemed genuinely surprised when the radio show host told him that Black Americans feel the administration has broken promises.
“You do realize Pete, a lot of Black people feel like Democrats have kept no promises since they’ve been in office,” Charlamagne said to Buttigieg at the 26.10 mark of the video.
To this, Buttigieg raised his eyebrows in shock and asked, “Really?”
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“Rev. Al [Sharpton] has said that a million times. I’m sure he’ll be pressing you about that tomorrow,” Charlamagne continued.
“Look, I get it because the work is not done,” Buttigieg responded. “But the reason I say ‘Really?’ is we just passed one of the biggest pieces of infrastructure legislation in American history. It was a promise — and it wasn’t just a promise that the Biden-Harris administration made or that us Democrats made in 2020 — this is a promise that every president and every Congress has made in some way, shape, or form for as long as I’ve been an adult and we actually did it.”
Charlamagne pushed back, saying that he was referring to specific issues that affected Black people.
“Those are big, broad things and that’s great but I’m talking about things you campaigned on, like the George Floyd Policing Act,” Charlamagne countered. “And the fact that our voting rights, man, like 19 states have implemented voter suppression bills. You know that’s going to directly impact us the most and the only strategy Democrats are going to have is, ‘We got to go out there to vote in mass numbers to fight it.” That’s not a strategy. Hope is not a strategy.”
Buttigieg responded, “Right, mobilization is a strategy and these tactics that you’re talking about make mobilization harder. You’re absolutely right. That work is not done. That work has to get done and it’s not acceptable where we are right now. All of that is true.”
Some Black people weighed in on Twitter. One noted that Buttigieg’s shock showed “how out of touch this administration is.” Others defended the Biden administration, bringing up his kept promise of appointing a Black woman, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, to be a Supreme Court justice.
Another user asked what Republicans have done for Black Americans.
PHOTO: Democratic presidential contender and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks with Charlamagne Tha God about economic struggles in the Black community, Jan. 23, 2020, in Moncks Corner, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
