Buttigieg calls Trump’s Reflecting Pool press conference ‘symbol of incompetence’

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called President Trump’s press conference Monday in front of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool a “symbol of incompetence.”

“The fact that even after manipulating the districts, these districts are still competitive and may well vote Democratic in this election shows you just how far the priorities of the White House and the congressional Republicans have drifted away from the things Americans care about,” Buttigieg told Meidas Touch on Tuesday. “And I think it’s also telling that their closing arguments did nothing to help with that, right? At a moment where people were more concerned than ever about healthcare, gas prices, grocery prices.”

“Yet the president making his closing argument, standing in front of the Reflecting Pool which is kind of a giant symbol of the incompetence and the corruption and dishonesty of the administration,” he continued.

Buttigieg said that Trump’s decision to deliver his midterms closing argument at the Reflecting Pool was a “powerful message” to voters across the country — including in conservative areas — that the president “just doesn’t care about them.”

“And voters care about that and want to send a message back,” the former Transportation Secretary concluded.

Trump’s speech at the Reflecting Pool on Monday focused largely on the landmark’s reopening, notably not mentioning Tuesday’s elections until roughly 20 minutes into his speech.

“As you know, this is the last day before the midterm elections, the most important midterm I believe in our lifetime,” he said. “The Democrat Party has nominated the most extreme and dangerous slate of candidates in American history.”

Trump also reiterated his promise of doling out $5,000 checks to all American adults if the GOP maintains control of Congress, adding that his last few midterm rallies were “full of love.”

This comes as Buttigieg and other national Democrats were put on the defensive following the GOP’s efforts to redistrict some key congressional districts. He became heavily involved with campaigning for a number of candidates across the country in an effort to boost the party’s odds to regain control of the upper and lower chamber.

Buttigieg — a former presidential candidate — is also among the top contenders for the 2028 Democratic presidential primaries.