Pete Buttigieg called 'envious' as he criticizes 'anti-Trump Republican' JD Vance's path to VP nomination

Referring to JD Vance's private remarks against Donald Trump, Pete Buttigieg said people like him 'say whatever they must to get ahead'
Pete Buttigieg slammed JD Vance's path to GOP VP nomination (Getty Images)
Pete Buttigieg slammed JD Vance's path to GOP VP nomination (Getty Images)

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg criticized Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio) drawing parallels between Vance's path to the GOP presidential journey of former Indiana Governor Mike Pence who served as Donald Trump's vice president.

Speaking on 'Real Time with Bill Maher' on Friday, July 20, Buttigieg highlighted the political transformations both figures underwent.

Pete Buttigieg doubles down on JD Vance's shift in allegiance

Referring to private remarks Vance made about Donald Trump in 2016, Buttigieg said, “Behind the scenes, apparently, he’s actually calling him Hitler, right?”

“Five years later, the way he gets ahead is that he’s the greatest guy since sliced bread. And I actually watched this exact same process with somebody else I got to know in my days in the Midwest, which was my former governor, Mike Pence,” he added.

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - MARCH 01: Former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg announces he is endi
Pete Buttigieg doubles down on JD Vance's shift in allegiance (Getty Images)

Criticizing JD Vance's apparent shift in values, Buttigieg suggested it was a move to advance his political career, according to Huffpost.

"People like Vance say whatever they must to get ahead," said the former Democratic presidential candidate.

“Five years ago, that seemed like being the anti-Trump Republican, so that’s what he talked about,” he added.

JD Vance's transformation

Drawing further comparisons, Buttigieg recounted Pence's journey from "an evangelical Christian who cared about rectitude and family values, and then get on board with a guy who was mixed up with a porn star, make excuses for him so that he could have power.”

“He got four glorious years, I guess, as vice president of the United States," he said.

"And it ended on the west front of the Capitol with Trump supporters proposing that he be hanged for using the one shred of integrity he still had to stand up to an attempt to overthrow the government," he added.

“I hope things work out a little bit better for JD Vance than they did for Mike Pence,” said Buttigieg, speaking not “as a politician but as a human being.”

(Getty Images)
Donald Trump announced JD Vance as his running mate at the Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024 (Getty Images)

Internet slams Pete Buttigieg's criticism of JD Vance's VP nomination

As Buttigieg ripped Vance's "anti-Trump" record and path to the GOP VP nomination, netizens slammed Buttigieg for his remarks against the Ohio Senator.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, "Pete can't fix a pothole and took 3 months paternity leave. He talks a lot and says nothing. Pete is worthless."



 

"OMG! I think JD is doing just fine, Pete is of no concern to anyone," a netizen commented while another user tweeted, "How’s it feel knowing your job is coming to an end?"



 



 

"Buttigieg is just envious he couldn’t get elected on a nation level," a user wrote and a netizen tweeted, "OMG! You don’t even know who your candidate is."



 



 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Trump claimed Abdul El-Sayed lacked support and said Haley Stevens tried working with him before breaking away
2026-11-01T07:45:06.000Z
Max Miller's re-election bid faced financial pressure after weak fundraising, while a House Ethics probe and upcoming custody trial added to his challenges
2026-11-01T06:20:42.000Z
Ted Cruz dismissed claims that polls were inaccurate, warning that Democrats were significantly outpacing Republicans in voter turnout
2026-11-01T05:52:43.000Z
Mike Rogers mocked Abdul El-Sayed’s Michigan ties with a birthday basket containing Dubai chocolates, a football, a toy truck and a black T-shirt
2026-11-01T05:30:15.000Z
Alina Habba reportedly secured a $50 million deal with Julio Herrera Velutini's family shortly before Trump pardoned the Venezuelan banking tycoon
2026-11-01T05:22:51.000Z
Trump described Lauren Boebert as an 'America First Patriot' and a 'MAGA Warrior', praising her work representing Colorado's 4th Congressional District
2026-11-01T05:10:27.000Z
Federal prosecutors issued grand jury subpoenas to donors as Mary Peltola denied allegations of recruiting a rival candidate
2026-11-01T04:53:53.000Z
Haley Stevens urged Abdul El-Sayed to apologise for suggesting Israel was behind Michigan's funding problems in schools, healthcare and childcare
2026-11-01T04:24:36.000Z
Judge Jennifer Rochon said the taxpayer-funded advertisement directly urged voters to support one political party over another ahead of the election
2026-11-01T02:42:29.000Z
'President Trump will continue to press forward in his powerhouse lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and all of the other defendants,' Trump's legal team said
2026-11-01T02:23:09.000Z