Buttigieg suggests Trump didn’t ’even pretend’ to care about how Vance would govern

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg went after former President Donald Trump’s comments on his running mate from the National Association of Black Journalists convention Wednesday, suggesting he only picked him for votes, not for the job he’d do as vice-president.

Buttigieg’s comments on MSNBC come directly after Trump received a hostile reception at the convention, which Vice President Kamala Harris could not attend.

“Trump was asked about Vance and his answer was it doesn’t matter that much to the outcome who you pick for VP,” Buttigieg said, “which means it did not occur to him to even pretend to be interested in the impact of the vice presidential choice on the country.”

Trump earlier Wednesday said, “Historically, the vice president, in terms of the election, does not have any impact,” in response to a question about whether Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) is ready for the vice presidency.

Vance has received a torrent of animosity since he became Trump’s running mate, with many on the left branding him “weird.” Old clips have also resurfaced that Democrats have used to brand Vance as anti-woman. In a 2021 interview, he said “childless cat ladies” who work for the Biden administration, mentioning Harris in particular, are running the country.

Nevertheless, the Harris campaign has used them as fuel against Vance, who is somewhat viewed as dragging down Trump, instead of lifting him up in support. One week after the running mate announcement, Vance’s favorability rating was down 6 points, according to CNN.

Trump’s remarks likely will contribute to that speculation, and he noted that voters are voting for the president, not their running mate. Now Buttigieg and other Democrats are using Vance as fodder for their attacks on Trump.

Buttigieg is a popular pick to be Harris’s running mate, even though it appears her choice may be narrowed to a governor such as Govs. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) or Andy Beshear (D-KY).

The Biden administration official, along with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), is among the top choices for Harris outside of a Democratic governor.