Pete Buttigieg grilled on why Biden was replaced from 2024 race, says 'the president is not unfit' to run

WASHINGTON, DC: During the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, August 20, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was grilled by co-host Lawrence Jones of 'Fox & Friends' about the successful push to remove President Joe Biden from the ticket 2024 election and the rise in violent crimes in major American cities.

"I just want to know, when did you guys know that the president was unfit [to serve]…?" Jones pressed Buttigieg. "The president is not unfit," he replied. "So why is he not the nominee right now?" he pressed further.

Pete Buttigieg shed light on why Joe Biden stepped down from 2024 race

"Because he did something that Donald Trump cannot comprehend, which is to put his ego aside," Pete Buttigieg answered, according to Fox News.

According to Jones, Democrats didn't start their campaign to remove Joe Biden until after his dismal debate performance against former president Donald Trump in late June, during which he seemed to stutter and find it difficult to respond to questions.

Reports surfaced in the ensuing weeks, alleging that prominent Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and former president Barack Obama, thought the president ought to hand the reins to someone else.

"You can go over whether he slips up and says one name when he wants to say another name, or you can look at what he's actually accomplished as president," Buttigieg said, addressing the point. "It turns out he's really good at being President of the United States," he added.

Pete Buttigieg's response to rising crime rate in US cities, especially Chicago

Lawrence Jones also grilled the Transportation Secretary on violence, bringing up a Coalition for Law, Order & Safety figure that showed violent crime had increased in 66 major US cities, including Chicago, home of this year's Democratic National Convention, by a total of about 10%.

Jones recently spoke with Monee Jacobs, a distraught Windy City woman whose son Jeremy was killed a year ago. She begged political leaders to take the violence seriously and put an end to it on broadcast.

"How can I vote for somebody who I don't feel like has my back, or [the back of] any parent who lost their child…? But you want me to vote for you? What are you going to do for me? You say what you're going to do when you get in office. Do you really do what you said you [are] going to do? I don't think so. Because this crime has been going on for decades, and it's getting sickening to watch parents on TV crying about the loss of their child," she said, accoridng to the outlet. 

Jones drew attention to the fact that there is more security outside United Center, the convention site, than there is for regular people. "You guys sent the cavalry in for your protection, but the people of Chicago don't see that on a day-to-day basis. What are you guys going to do to stop the bloodshed in our community?" he asked.

"The big question, I think, for politics, for policy, for media, is, who is going to help them versus who is going to use them?" Buttigieg answered in part. "That mother is asking the exact right question, and the question is, ‘What are you going to actually do when you come into office?’" he added. In light of this, he contended that Democrats have contributed more by advocating for stricter gun control laws.

Pete Buttigieg says upcoming election will be a litmus test for voters' attitudes towards crime in the US

Pete Buttigieg also emphasized that people' perceptions of crime in the United States will be gauged by how Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris fare in their November contest.

"When you have Donald Trump, an unrepentant convicted criminal, running against a prosecutor like Kamala Harris, we have an opportunity to send a message about whether we're serious on law and order in this country or whether it's a talking point, whether it's just something people try to use as a political theme for partisan gain," he said.

Internet lashes out at Pete Buttigieg for saying Joe Biden was 'fit to run'

After Pete Buttigieg asserted that Joe Biden resigned from election in spite of being eligible to run, netizens attacked him. One X user tweeted, "Maybe they switched him for a life-sized cardboard cutout?" Another wrote, "These people can lie like the devil." 

"We all see it—Biden's cognitive decline is undeniable, yet the charade continues. They rally around him, protect the façade, and lie to the nation. It’s a stark betrayal of truth, where power is prioritized over the welfare of the country," remarked one. "Nice try, but no one is buying it," said someone else.

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