>> COMING UP >>> YOU’RE WATCHING MAYOR PETE
BUDGET JEJ
BUDGET JEJ BUTTIGIEG’S ANNOUNCEMENT
BUTTIGIEG’S ANNOUNCEMENT >> BY AGE 14 I KNEW I WANTED TO
BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES
STATES THE YEARS HAVE FLOWN BY.
I’M A RHODES SCHOLAR, THE TWO
SMARTEST KIDS IN THE NAVY.
NOWADAYS MOST OF YOU RECOGNIZE
ME FROM THE RALLYING CRIES OF
HOPE I HAVE STIRRED ACROSS THE
NATION
NATION BUT OTHERS KNOW ME AS "THE BOY
WHO BECAME MAYOR" ONLY ON DISNEY
CHANNEL.
CHANNEL. >> OH, MY GOD.
I DON’T KNOW
THAT’S OKAY.
THAT’S OKAY. JOINING US NOW, MAYOR OF SOUTH
BEND, INDIANA, PETE BUTTIGIEG.
AFTER LAUNCHING A PRESIDENTIAL
EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE, MAYOR
PETE ON SUNDAY FORMALLY DECLARED
HIS CANDIDACY FOR HIS 2020
NOMINATION
NOMINATION I WAS WATCHING THAT.
THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN
>> YOU WERE TALKING TIGER IN THE
OTHER ROOM
OTHER ROOM >> REALLY, YOU NEED TO WATCH
TIGER FOR A COUPLE HOURS
I WENT ANDWATCHED TIGER.
YOU GUYS WAITED.
SMART THING TO DO.
IT WAS QUITE AN ANNOUNCEMENT
I -- I WAS REALLY TAKEN BY YOUR
INTERVIEW WITH RACHEL THE OTHER
NIGHT, RACHEL MADDOW
I DID NOT REALIZE UNTIL THE
INTERVIEW THAT YOU HAD NOT
ACTUALLY TOLD YOUR PARENTS THAT
YOU WERE GAY UNTIL AFTER YOU
CAME BACK FROM THE WAR
IS THAT RIGHT?
>> THAT’S TRUE
>> SO THE QUESTION WAS AND IT
WAS SO FASCINATING, WHAT WERE
YOU MORE FEARFUL OF?
COMBAT DUTY OR TELLING YOUR MOM
AND DAD?
AND DAD? >> YEAH, IT WAS -- I’D SAY THAT
WAS A FAIR QUESTION.
I MEAN, YOU’RE A WAR VETERAN, A
SITTING MAYOR, AND MY PALMS WERE
SWEATING
SWEATING AND MY PARENTS ARE WONDERFUL
WHEN YOU’RE NOT OUT, THERE’S A
LOT OF ENERGY THAT GOES INTO NOT
BEING OUT.
BEING OUT. BUT WHEN YOU DO, EVEN WHEN YOU
EXPECT OR HOPE IT WILL GO WELL,
THERE’S A LEVEL DR-- I DON’T KNO
HOW TO DESCRIBE IT
WHEN I WAS GETTING ON A PLANE
GOING TO AFGHANISTAN, I MORE OR
LESS KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO
HAPPEN, I WAS PHYSICALLY
SURROUNDED BY DOZENS OR HUNDREDS
OF PEOPLE DOING THE EXACT SAME
THING.
THING. YOU HAVE A LITTLE MORE OF A
PEACE OF MIND THERE THAN YOU DO
TAKING THE LEAP OF COMING OUT.
>> TALK ABOUT MAKING THAT
DECISION, MOVING FORWARD TO
DECIDING TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES.
OF A ALL YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH AT
YOUR YOUNG AGE, I WOULD GUESS
WHAT SEEMS TO BE SUCH A LIFE
THREATENING, SCARY DECISION TO
YOU DON’T SEEM QUITE AS
SIGNIFICANT.
SIGNIFICANT. >> I DON’T MEAN TO MINEIMIZE THE
GRAVITY OF PUTTING YOURSELF IN
LINE FOR THE HIGHEST POSITION IN
THE LAST --
>> YOU WOULDN’T SAY, FOR
INSTANCE, "I WAS BORN TO DO
THIS" ON THE COVER OF "VANITY
FAIR," PROBABLY NOT?
>> I THINK OF IT A LITTLE
DIFFERENTLY.
DIFFERENTLY. AS A MAYOR, YOU GET A KIND OF
MUSCLE MEMORY FOR NOT JUST
DECISION MAKING BUT HOW TO
CONDUCT YOURSELF, HOW TO HANDLE
TELEVISION EXPOSURE, CRITICISM
ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT COME
WITH PUBLIC OFFICE
WHAT I’M EXPERIENCING NOW IS OF
COURSE A RADICALLY DIFFERENT
SCALE.
SCALE. MAKING THE DECISION WAS ONE OF
SAYING WHERE DO I FIT?
THE WAY YOU SHOULD COME TO ANY
DECISION, YOU MAP THE OFFICE,
WHAT DOES IT NEED, WHAT DOES IT
CALL FOR
CALL FOR AND THEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT
YOU REPRESENT AND BRING TO THE
TABLE.
TABLE. AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, IT COULD BE
A DIFFERENT ANSWER
THAT’S THE PROCESS THAT LED ME
TO NOT RUN FOR OFFICE.
A COUPLE OF TIMES I THOUGHT OF
RUNNING FOR CONFERENCE AND THE
STAY TREASURY RACE TO RUNNING
FOR DNC CHAIR.
NOT SO MUCH IN TERMS OF COULD I
WIN, BUT IN TERMS OF WHAT
COMBINATION OF THINGS DOES THIS
OFFICE NEED?
OFFICE NEED? AS IMPROBABLE AS IT IS, YOU
THINK ABOUT AN OFFICE THAT IS
OCCUPIED BY SOMEBODY WITH A LOT
OF FRANTIC ARM WAVING AND
ATTENTION-SEEKING BEHAVIOR, A
MOMENT WHEN THERE IS A LOT OF
FRUSTRATION THAT THE HEARTLAND
ISN’T BEING SPOKEN FOR AND MAYBE
FOR THE ONE TIME IN A HUNDRED
YEARS WHERE THE EXACT PERSON
LIKE ME IS WHAT THE POSITION IS
CALLING FOR.
CALLING FOR. >> EARLIER TODAY I HAD A
QUESTION WHICH HAD TO DO ABOUT
HEALTH CARE, WHICH SEEMS TO BE
THE TOP ISSUE, CERTAINLY IN
DEMOCRATS’ MINDS BUT EVEN IN THE
GENERAL ELECTION IT WILL BE.
I ASKED HIM WHAT DO YOU SAY TO
THE FACTORY WORKER WHO ASKS YOU
A QUESTION ABOUT HEALTH CARE AND
SAYS, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE HAVE
HEALTH CARE THROUGH MY WIFE, I
DON’T HAVE HEALTH CARE ANYMORE,
MY WIFE HAS A JOB, HAS HEALTH
CARE BUT IT DOESN’T REALLY DO
ENOUGH FOR US.
WE’D LOVE THE GOVERNMENT TO BE
MORE INVOLVED, WE’D LOVE
OBAMACARE TO GET FIXED BUT WE
STILL WANT TO GO TO THE DOCTOR
THAT WE’VE GROWN UP WITH
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT EX
EX-FACTORY WORKER?
EX-FACTORY WORKER? >> THAT’S WHAT I --
>> CAN YOU HAVE IT BOTH WAYS, A
MEDICARE FOR ALL WHO WANT IT AND
THE OLD TRADITIONAL SYSTEM
>> I THINK IF WE DEBT IT RIGHT,
THE TRADITIONAL SYSTEM WILL --
IT’S GIVING THE TRADITIONAL
SYSTEM ONE LAST CHANCE TO
IMPROVE ITSELF
IMPROVE ITSELF I DON’T THINK IT WILL ALL ADD
UP --
UP -- >> WHY ARE YOU SKEPTICAL IT
WOULDN’T ADD UP?
>> YOU LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT
MAKE IT THE CASE, PRETTY MUCH
EVERY COUNTRY WITH A SINGLE PAY
ENVIRONMENT, IT’S NOT ONLY
COVERING ME PEOPLE BUT IT’S
COVERING PEOPLE MORE
EFFECTIVELY.
EFFECTIVELY. >> WE SPEND MORE MONEY ON HEALTH
CARE PER PATIENT THAN ANY
COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, WE DON’T
GET THE RESULTS.
WHEN YOU TALK THAT WAY, PEOPLE
START TALKING ABOUT BEATEDEATH P
AND RATIONING.
AND RATIONING. ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU’RE NOT GOING
TO LET ME GO TO MY DOCTOR,
YOU’RE GOING TO RATION MY HEALTH
CARE AND THERE ARE GOING TO BE
DEATH PANELS
DEATH PANELS >> WELL, SEEING IS BELIEVING
CONVINCE AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU
CAN, YOU IMPLEMENT A POLICY AND
IF YOU ARE WRONG, YOUR POLICY
DIDN’T WORK, YOU’RE RUN OUT ON A
RAIL
RAIL IN SOUTH BEND, WE DID PUBLIC
MEETINGS, WE IMPLEMENT THE
POLICY BUT IN THE END SEEING IS
BELIEVING AND THE STORY YOU’RE
TELLING I THINK IS A GREAT
EXAMPLE.
EXAMPLE. THINK OF THE POLITICAL LIFE OF
THE ACA, HOW IT WENT IN EIGHT
YEARS FROM BEING THE TOXIC
ISSUES WE GOT MURDERED OVER IN
2018 TO
2018 TO 2010 OVER A WINNING ISSUE IN
2018
2018 OF COURSE THE DEATH PANELS
DIDN’T HAPPEN, GOOD COVERAGE DID
HAPPEN FOR MORE PEOPLE THAN
BEFORE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
COULDN’T GET COVERAGE AT ALL
WERE IN BETTER SHAPE
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE COURAGE
TO LAUNCH A PROGRAM, YOU
CONVINCE PEOPLE AS MUCH AS YOU
CAN BUT THEN YOU DO IT
AND IF YOU WERE WRONG,
DESERVEDLY YOU’LL BE PUNISHED
FOR THAT IN A REELECTION
>> THE MUELLER REPORT REDACTED
VERSION BEING RELEASED TODAY
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ATTORNEY
GENERAL BARR HOLDING A PRESS
CONFERENCE BEFORE?
CONFERENCE BEFORE? >> IT’S REALLY DISTURBING BUT
MORE EVIDENCE OF THIS
ADMINISTRATION’S ATTITUDE ON
TRANSPARENCY
TRANSPARENCY ANOTHER THING I LEARNED VERY
QUICKLY AS MAYOR, IF PEOPLE
DON’T HAVE FULL INFORMATION,
THEY’RE GOING TO FULL IN THE
BLANKS AND THEY’RE GOING TO FILL
IN THE WORST
I IMAGINE WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE,
THERE’S A LOT OF REDACTION AND
I’M GUESSING THEY WANT TO FILL
IN THE BLANKS A CERTAIN WAY, PUT
A CERTAIN IDEA IN OUR HEADS
BEFORE WE HAVE A CHANCE TO
FORMULATE OUR OWN OPINION.
THE SOLUTION IS MAXIMUM
TRANSPARENCY
TRANSPARENCY ON OUR MOST SENSITIVE ISSUES AT
HOME, WE TRY TO AS MUCH
INFORMATION AS WE COULD AND WE
JUST PUBLISHED THEM ONLINE SO
EVERYBODY COULD READ THEM AND
DIDN’T HAVE TO DIG THEM UP OUT
OF THE COURTROOM THEMSELVES.
SO IF WE WERE GOING TO GET BEAT
UP ON SOMETHING, AT LEAST IT WAS
FACTUAL AND WE COULD EXPLAIN OUR
CHOICES, ADMIT TO ANYTHING THAT
COULD HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY
AND MOVE ON.
IF I WAS ADVISING A PRESIDENT AT
A MOMENT LIKE THIS, I WOULD
ADVISE BEING AS TRANSPARENT AS
YOU CAN.
YOU CAN. INSTEAD IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT THEY
WANT TO DO IS DESCRIBE THIS AND
THEN TURN IT OVER.
>> THERE’S A GREAT DEAL OF
ENERGY SURROUNDING YOUR
CAMPAIGN
CAMPAIGN ABOUT YOUR BASE, THE SUPPORT
APPEARS TO BE BE COMING FROM
OVERWHELMINGLY WHITE VOTERS AND
HOUSEHOLDS WITH A HIGH ANNUAL
INCOME
INCOME STEVE KORNACKI DESCRIBED THIS AS
AN EARLY WARNING SIGN ABOUT YOUR
VIABILITY FOR THE DEMOCRAT BEING
NOMINATION
NOMINATION TAKE A LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID.
>> THE SUPPORT THAT HE’S ATTRACT
ATTRACTING RIGHT NOW, IF YOU
LOOK IN THESE NATIONAL POLLS, IT
COMES DISPRO PARTIALATLY FROM
WHITE VOTERS AND WHEN HIS NM AND
IT COMES FROM SELF-DESCRIBED
LIBERAL OR VERY LIBERAL VOTERS
>> VERY INTERESTING.
>> YOU CAN GO ALL THE WAY AND
THE ONE THING ALL OF THOSE
CANDIDATES HAVE IN COMMON.
THEY GOT TRACTION AT SOME POINT
THE PRIMARIES AND THEY FAILED TO
CROSS OFFER TO AFRICAN-AMERICAN
VOTERS
VOTERS >> MAYBE PETE WE SHALL HAVE GOOD
NEWS AND BAD NEWS.
THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU DOMINATE
LIKE BROOKLYN -- LIKE PEOPLE IN
BROOKLYN WHO LIKE TO WAKE UP TO
THEIR DECONSTRUCTED CHAI LATTES.
THAT’S YOUR CROWD, MY FRIEND
HOW DO YOU EXPAND YOUR APPEAL
AND EXPAND YOUR APPEAL IN A WAY
THAT BERNIE SANDERS DIDN’T IN
2016 BECAUSE YOU’RE PRETTY GOOD
IN IOWA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, IF YOU
KEEP MOVING FORWARD IT LOOKS
GOOD
GOOD BUT THEN YOU TAKE A TURN AND YOU
GO TO SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE
DEEP SOUTH
DEEP SOUTH HOW DO YOU ATTRACT BLACK VOTERS,
LATINO VOTERS, HOW DO YOU
ATTRACT PEOPLE WHO REALLY
HAVEN’T HEARD OF YOU AND --
>> IT’S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND WE’RE VERY ATTENTIVE TO
THAT
THAT I THINK YOU DO IT THROUGH
SUBSTANCE AND ORGANIZING
SUBSTANCE IS MAKING SURE YOU GET
AES
AES A MESSAGE OUT IN SUBSTANCE
AND ALSO REACHING OUT TO
AUDIENCES WHEN WE’RE MAKING
APPEARANCES TO BROADEN OUR
COALITION.
COALITION. I KEEP COMING BACK TO MY
EXPERIENCE FROM HOME
OM FROM A DIVERSE CITY, ABOUT
45% NONWHITE
45% NONWHITE WE HAD A SIMILAR PATTERN WHEN I
WAS RUNNING FOR MAYOR.
IT FELT LIKE ALL THE SUPPORT WAS
COMING FROM THE MORE AFFLUENT
EAST I’D OF ELECTION
SO WE REALLY CAMPAIGNED HARD AND
ORGANIZED HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT
MESSAGE REACHED EVERYBODY.
IN THE END, THE MAJORITY AND
MAJORITY DISTRICTS OF OR BUT
WHAT YOU CAN DO IS MAKE SURE
YOU’RE FINDING THE TOUCH POINTS.
IN THE MINORITY COMMUNITIES AS
WELL, THERE AS AN INTERESTING
THE NEWER GENERATION LEADERS
ORGANIZE THEMSELVES IN DIFFERENT
WAYS THAN PEOPLE WHO WERE PART
OF MY PARENTS YOU’VE DONE
SOMETHING A LOT OF DEMOCRATS
HAVE BEEN A
THEY LIKE YOU.
BUT THEY GET TO THE POINT WHERE
THEY LOOK DOWN YOUR RESUMÉ AND
THEY SAY LIFE IS PRECIOUS.
THEY TALK ABOUT THE SANCTITY OF
LIFE AND THEY CAN’T GET PAST
YOUR SUPPORT OF LATE-TERM
ABORTION
ABORTION WHAT TO I THINK ANY PRO-CHOICE
OFFICIAL OR CANDIDATE FROM A
CONSERVATIVE STATE FACES
I RESPECT AND UNDERSTAND WHERE
PEOPLE ARE PO AND THE WAY THIS
IS CHARACTERIZED IS BY ASKING
QUESTIONS THAT ALMOST IN
THEMSELVES ARE MISLEADING ABOUT
THE MEDICAL SITUATIONS THAT
WOMEN FACE
WOMEN FACE NOT TO MENTION JUST THE PERSONAL
DECISIONS THAT THEY’RE
CONFRONTED WITH.
CONFRONTED WITH. TO ME IT’S A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE
THAT SHOULD BE GUIDED BY A VERY
SIMPLE PRINCIPLE, WHICH IS
HAVING THESE THINGS DICTATED BY
GOVERNMENT DOES NOT MAKE THAT
DECISION ANY EASIER.
IN SOME WAYS, SOME OF THESE
QUESTIONS ARE RELIGIOUS OR MEDIA
PHYSICAL
PHYSICAL ER THAT WHEN YOU’RE WRESTLING
WITH AN INCREDIBLY PAINFUL SET
OF DECISIONS -- IN THESE
HORRIFYING MEDICAL CASES AROUND
OR IS AT TREMENDOUS RISK
THAT’S NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN
COMPUTE THE RIGHT ANSWER TO.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS
AS A MATTER OF CONSCIENCE.
>> BUT TO PEOPLE WHO WOULD
CRITICIZE THAT, THEY WOULD SAY
IT’S A PRETTY EASY -- THAT IS A
HUMAN BEING WHO COULD BE BORN
ALIVE AND HAVE A GREAT AND FULL
LIFE
LIFE SO WHO WOULD CRITICIZE YOUR
ANSWER
ANSWER >> THE PROMISE OF THE QUESTION
IS VERY MISLEADING
>> YOU DON’T GET TO THAT STAGE,
I DON’T GET TO THAT LA IF YOU
HAVE BEEN PLANNING TO BRING A
PREGNANCY TO TERM.
THESE ARE.
THESE ARE. >> I SEE HOW IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL
TO TAKE OUTSIDE COUNSEL IN THE
FORM OF WHAT A DOCTOR HAS TO
SAY.
SAY. DOCTORS, BY THE WAY, WHO ARE
COMMITTED TO PRESERVING AND
PROTECTING LIFE.
PROTECTING LIFE. THAT’S WHY THEY’RE DOCTORS
IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO CALL IN
THE COUNSEL TO WHOEVER YOU TURN
TO FOR MORALS AND AND THE
COUNSEL OF A MEDICAL
PROFESSIONAL, THAT SOMEBODY ELSE
WHO COMES IN WITH THEIR IRN AT