Buttigieg Defends Going On Fox News With Brutal Roast About The Need to Combat ‘One-Sided’ Coverage

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics’s Youth Vote Fest on Wednesday and took questions from Gen Z students, one of whom asked him about his regular appearances on Fox News.

“Hi, my name is Savannah and I am a graduate student at the Crown School of Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration. Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen you on, I think, every news channel out there, including Fox. And so I’m wondering, why is it important to you to meet people where they are?’ asked the student.

“Thanks for asking. I never thought that I would be a Fox News frequent flier. Just so you know, that was not on my bingo card or where my career would go if you’d asked me even a few years ago,” replied Buttigieg, adding:

But the reason I do it is because I think it’s important, as your question suggested, to meet people where they are and recognize that I can’t be mad at somebody for not embracing our message if they’ve literally never heard it. And the more one side of the news network is, the less likely they will have heard it, unless I literally go there and share it. And I think it’s especially true in this election, because I know a lot of folks who watch Fox News and count on Fox News.

I know a lot of people in law enforcement who watch Fox News, and I want to make sure they have at least heard about the fact that violent crime went down after Donald Trump got beat, and are invited to reflect on the fact that Donald Trump is asking them to vote for a convicted felon over a prosecutor.

I want them to at least have heard that, maybe more often than they would have. I know veterans who watch Fox News. I want to ask them to consider the difference between a ticket, led by somebody who faked a disability, getting a doctor’s note, taking advantage of him being a teenage multimillionaire so that he wouldn’t have to go to Vietnam, letting some working-class kid go in his place.

And whose own chief of staff, revealed that he had described people who served this country as ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’ compared to, a ticket led by the administration that delivered the Pact Act that made sure that veterans who I served with in Iraq and Afghanistan went to burn pits, get the cancer treatment that they need. And also has on it a command sergeant major from the National Guard who spent 24 years in uniform.

So, like, you know, I always visualize people who I know who I disagree with and who I like, who are just maybe tuning in. I don’t think they’re going to see me on Fox for five minutes and see the light and suddenly become liberal Democrats. But I know that we’re having a healthier conversation if they’ve at least heard what somebody like me has to say.

Buttigieg addressed the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night and opened his remarks by quipping, “I’m Pete Buttigieg, and you might recognize me from Fox News.” He also posted to TikTok for the first time on Wednesday night, dropping the same line.

Fox has long had the largest audience in cable news, including many Democrats and Independents regularly tuning in. Fox anchor Bret Baier spoke about the network bringing on more diverse voices in an interview with Axios this week. “I think if you build it, they will come. And independents, Democrats are coming to our shows more and more,” he said . Baier regularly hosts both a Democrat and Republican on his daily show to discuss pressing issues and legislation.

Watch the clip above via C-SPAN.