EP 150: Pete Buttigieg’s Warning For His Own Party—And The Country

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joins the Mo News Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation just months after leaving the Biden administration, to talk politics, democracy, aviation, fatherhood—and his latest thinking on a potential 2028 presidential run. Buttigieg weighs in on Trump’s second term, his budget cuts, the flood of executive orders, and how worried he is about the state of American democracy. Why he thinks it is not a certainty that Democrats may be able to win the White House back in the coming years. He also shares what he’s learned from his recent podcast tour (including stops popular on the right), what Democrats keep missing in their message, and his perspective on Trump’s war on institutions like the media, universities, and major law firms. We dig into the Democratic Party’s struggles with young and working-class voters, the rise of Democratic Socialists, and a generational shift to the right already underway. Buttigieg also reflects on his time in the Biden administration—including what he observed about Biden’s cognitive state, whether he should’ve run for reelection, and whether Buttigieg wishes he said something earlier. Plus, we press him on his tenure as Transportation Secretary—from airline safety to the air traffic controller shortage. And, we look ahead at his growing alarm over AI’s potential to destabilize American society. Finally, we discuss 2028 election plans: What he’s weighing, what it would take to run again, and whether America is ready for another Buttigieg campaign. 🐝 This podcast was recorded from the Mo News office at ⁠⁠Industrious at Midtown on 50th St.⁠⁠ Mosheh Oinounou (⁠⁠@mosheh⁠⁠) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022.