Source: NBC News
WASHINGTON — Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, defended his lack of experience Sunday, arguing that voters should look at the “quality, as well as quantity” of time spent in public service.
Appearing on “Meet the Press” a week before he formally announces his presidential bid, Buttigieg argued he would step into the White House with more executive and military experience than the two most recent presidents, and said he’s been on the front lines of major issues like infrastructure, economics and race relations as mayor.
And the 37-year-old mayor brushed aside any worry that Americans might want a more seasoned candidate to follow President Donald Trump, who never served in public office until he won the White House in 2016.
“I would stack up my experience against anybody,” he said. “I know it’s not as traditional, I know I haven’t been marinating in Washington here for a very long time and I’m not part of the same establishment. But I would argue that being a mayor of a city of any size means you have to deal with the kinds of issues that really hit Americans.”
He added: “I think you can see pretty clearly I’m about as different from this president as you get.”
Buttigieg has enjoyed a surge in popularity on the Democratic side. He was once a relatively unknown commodity on the national stage, but his poll numbers are rising and he announced last week that his campaign has raised $7 million since its launch in January, an impressive number for a relative newcomer.
He admitted that he’s “as surprised as anybody” to watch…
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