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Some are saying it's a deal-breaker for the Democratic presidential hopeful, but he says he doesn't share the views of the right-wing group.
Pete Buttigieg is being dragged on social media for speaking to a Tea Party group when he was running for Indiana treasurer in 2010, with some saying it should disqualify him from the Democratic presidential nomination -- but his campaign staff is emphasizing he does not share the group's views.
A clip being circulated on Twitter shows Buttigieg, who later became mayor of South Bend and then came out as gay, telling the Tea Party attendees, "There are some ... who think that the Tea Party is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Republican Party. But there are many others who believe that the Tea Party is motivated by real concerns about the direction of our government and the responsiveness of our government to citizens -- and above all, a frustration with business as usual. That is what motivated me to run." He also notes, "We may come from often very different perspectives."
The Tea Party movement emerged in 2009, shortly after Barack Obama's inauguration as president. While the movement was ostensibly concerned with taxes and government efficiency, many of its adherents voiced racist and anti-Muslim sentiments toward Obama (who is not Muslim, although of course that would not be the negative characteristic that his critics made it out to be). Buttigieg has experienced problems connecting with Black voters, and some see his appearance at a Tea Party event as another strike against him on that count.
Here's the clip and an example of some of the commentary it generated.
\u201cHere\u2019s @PeteButtigieg speaking at a Tea Party event during Obama\u2019s presidency and praising them for their concerns about the "direction" of the country. The Tea Party is the RACIST movement that rose up after Obama was elected.\n\nThis video is disqualifying.https://t.co/THFHD4BRS3\u201d— Ryan Knight \u262d\ud83d\udd4a (@Ryan Knight \u262d\ud83d\udd4a) 1574132502
None— Ryan Knight \u262d\ud83d\udd4a (@Ryan Knight \u262d\ud83d\udd4a) 1574132502
\u201c@ProudResister @BenjaminPDixon @PeteButtigieg And he wonders why his blk support is zero.\n\nThe very issues that blk ppl were fighting against, were the same issues the Tea Party was fighting for.\n\nAs a blk person I have NOTHING in common with a Tea Party person.\n\nAny Dem legitimizing the TP is disqualified.\u201d— Ryan Knight \u262d\ud83d\udd4a (@Ryan Knight \u262d\ud83d\udd4a) 1574132502
Not everyone was negative, however.
\u201c@ProudResister @PeteButtigieg Although I\u2019m not sure abt Pete I can be fair. He really didn\u2019t sound like he was trying to jump on the tea party bandwagon at all. More like he wanted to see how the TP & Dems could work together for the good of the country. That\u2019s a good thing. He just has to connect w Black ppl\u201d— Ryan Knight \u262d\ud83d\udd4a (@Ryan Knight \u262d\ud83d\udd4a) 1574132502
Buttigieg's campaign offered this comment to The Advocate: "This clip has already been widely circulated and reported on. When Pete ran for state treasurer in 2010, his opponent wouldn't debate him, so he attended a 'Meet The Candidates' event because it was his only opportunity to share the stage with his opponent. As Pete makes clear in the footage, he 'comes from a very different perspective' and doesn't share anything close to the view of the Tea Party, before acknowledging the frustrations many people felt about government being run as business as usual. His comments are nearly identical to what President Obama said about the Tea Party's concerns three weeks later."
Obama's statement: "I think there are a lot of people who are involved in the Tea Party who have very real and sincere concerns about spending that's out of control or generally philosophically believe that the government should be less involved in certain aspects of American life rather than more involved. And they have every right and obligation as citizens to be involved and engaged in this process." His vice president, Joe Biden, another contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, had made sympathetic remarks earlier in 2010 about the economic anxiety he saw as driving some Tea Party activists.
