Pete Buttigieg may have stepped away from Washington, but he’s not staying silent.
The former U.S. transportation secretary and 2020 presidential candidate appeared on The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart podcast this week with sharp commentary, a newly scruffy look, and some clear warnings about former President Donald Trump’s chaotic economic policies.
Now teaching part-time and raising twin toddlers with husband Chasten, Buttigieg is relishing his post-Cabinet life—but he’s far from tuning out.
Life After the Cabinet (and Facial Hair Freedom)
“Pete, look at you with the scruff,” host Jon Stewart remarked as Buttigieg appeared on screen.
“You started it,” Buttigieg quipped back, explaining that after a family vacation, he decided to ditch the daily shave required in public office. The beard, he joked, is just one of the perks of no longer running a department with 55,000 employees.
“I guess I should feed the dog now,” he said of his new home routine.
Trump’s Tariff Chaos: “This Is Not a Game”
Shifting to serious topics, Buttigieg didn’t hold back when asked about Trump’s recent tariff moves—an erratic rollout that rattled global markets before being partially walked back.
“These are decisions that very quickly go to our everyday lives,” Buttigieg said. “Whether you’re hoping, as a construction worker, that a project is going forward near you, or you’re at the grocery store seeing prices rise—this is not a game.”
@weeklyshowpodcast “They don’t view an honest discussion of policy as something they need to slow down and do.” We’re digging into the Trump team’s logic, or lack-there-of, with @Pete Buttigieg. #TheWeeklyShow #politics
Referring to recent reporting that conservative economists discovered basic math errors in Trump’s tariff policy, he added: “That actually matters when trillions of dollars depend on what you do—and how you do it.”
He also emphasized what many overlook: “A tariff is a tax,” he reminded listeners. “And people are paying it.”
“This Is Chaotic On Purpose”
Buttigieg described the Trump team’s approach as not just messy—but intentional.
“There’s a logic here,” he explained. “If you make it completely chaotic, then the only organizing principle is the man himself. The more messy you make it, the more you get to the king.”
@weeklyshowpodcast “The only organizing principle is the man himself.” @Pete Buttigieg on how Trump exploits chaos and an absence of accountability to consolidate power. #TheWeeklyShow #politics
He called it a “terrible way to make policy” and “terribly unfair,” slamming the lack of accountability that comes with governing by personality rather than facts.
“If you think you can just beat your chest and say it’s all fake news, then why bother checking your math or confirming your targets before implementing policy?” he said.
On the Signal Scandal: “Highest Level of Foul-Up Imaginable”
Buttigieg also weighed in on reports that Trump-era officials coordinated military activity in an unsecured Signal group chat—and accidentally included a journalist.
“These people cannot keep America safe,” he wrote in a viral Instagram post earlier this week. On Stewart’s podcast, he elaborated: “They sent battle plans to the wrong guy on the wrong text app… then they slap a tariff on an island with penguins.”
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“These screwups don’t lead to introspection. That’s what’s terrifying.”
Looking Ahead—But Not Ruling Out a Return
Now back in Michigan, Buttigieg is spending more time navigating twin toddler tantrums than policy briefings—but speculation about his political future remains.
He has publicly declined to run for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat or the governor’s race, sparking questions about a possible 2028 presidential bid.
In the meantime, he’s stopping by construction projects funded during his time as Secretary of Transportation and enjoying a slower pace—beard and all.
“But all of us are still very, very alarmed about what’s happening in the country,” he said. “You can’t tune it out.”
