Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was ripped by conservatives on social media Friday after he mocked former President Trump for showing “weakness” by not agreeing to debate VP Harris in September.
“Has a presidential nominee ever agreed to a debate, then pulled out? Remarkable show of weakness here,” Buttigieg posted on X before being mocked by conservatives who argued that former President Trump had an agreement with Biden, not Harris, who dropped out of the race and thus effectively pulled out of the scheduled debate.
“Yes. Biden. Literally this past weekend,” CNN’s Scott Jennings posted on X.
“Joe Biden agreed to 2 debates, then pulled out of his entire campaign after the first one,” pollster Frank Luntz posted on X.
TAKE IT FROM ME, REPUBLICANS: KAMALA HARRIS IS A STRONG CANDIDATE. DON’T UNDERESTIMATE HER
Donald Trump arrives to Trump Tower May 30, 2024. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)
“The only one I can think of is Joe Biden, right?” The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway posted on X.
“I’m actually surprised Pete would dunk this hard on his boss, Joe Biden,” Fox News contributor Guy Benson posted on X. “The man *just* pulled out of the race (and therefore the second debate), clearly against his will. Undeniable weakness aside, give him a moment of peace.”
Pete Buttigieg, U.S. transportation secretary, speaks during a news conference near the site of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Feb. 23, 2023. (Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“This is the sort of extraordinarily brazen tack you take only when you know that the media is in full campaign mode in your favor,” National Review’s Charles C. Cooke posted on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to Buttigieg’s office and the Harris campaign but did not receive a response.
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Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks as President Biden looks on in the Rose Garden of the White House July 26, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Trump said earlier this week he’s open to debating Vice President Harris more than once as the two face off in the 2024 presidential election.
“Absolutely. I’d want to. I think it’s important,” Trump said Tuesday when asked by Fox News’ Bill Melugin on a conference call with reporters if he would commit to debating Harris at least once.
“I would be willing to do more than one debate, actually,” Trump said. Minutes later, Trump noted, “I haven’t agreed to anything. I agreed to a debate with Joe Biden.”
The Trump campaign said on Thursday that he will not participate in a debate until Democrats finalize their nominee because it “would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds.”
VP Harris criticized that position from the Trump campaign as “backpedaling.”