Former South Bend mayor discusses Trump, South Bend economy
Pete Buttigieg, former Mayor of South Bend and Secretary of Transportation under the Biden administration, sat down for a fireside chat with Keough School of Global Affairs Dean Mary Gallagher on January 23. Gallagher and Buttigieg addressed South Bend’s “Leadership, Innovation, and the Next Generation.”
Buttigieg, a Democrat, is an outspoken supporter of gay marriage, gay adoption, abortion, and in-vitro fertilization. During a 2024 appearance on the “White Dudes for Harris” podcast, Buttigieg stated, “Men are more free in a country where we have a president who stands up for access to abortion.”
Notre Dame President Father Robert Dowd, C.S.C. introduced Buttigieg. While the Catholic Church categorically denies the validity of homosexual marriages, Fr. Dowd stated, “Buttigieg lives in northern Michigan with his husband Chasten.” The politician was awarded the LGBT Service Award in 2019 by the Gay and Lesbian Alumni of Notre Dame and St. Mary’s. Though the association was never affiliated with the university, it was disbanded by its members when the university officially created the Alumni Rainbow Community of Notre Dame.
Starting the conversation, Gallagher asked Buttigieg for his perspective on artificial intelligence (AI). “I don’t think we have to be pessimistic,” Buttigieg said, “AI won’t necessarily make us dumber, but it might, and it seems to be on its way to doing so in the same way that the advent of social media has made us less social.”
South Bend’s economy was a major topic of conversation. Buttigieg complimented his successor’s improvements of South Bend’s economy. “I’m thrilled by what I see when I come back,” Buttigieg said. “I’m really proud of the city, really proud of what my successor has done.” Buttigieg was succeeded by current South Bend Mayor James Mueller, a fellow Democrat.
Switching to the topic of academic freedom, Buttigeg argued that universities are “under attack.” He cautioned that when funding becomes contingent on “conform[ity] to the political preferences of the person in charge of the government,” universities are unable to fulfill their missions.
Buttigieg previously endorsed Biden-Harris policies that imposed restrictions on universities. In 2024, the Biden administration issued a new rule that explicitly expanded Title IX protections to include LGBTQ students, prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation at federally funded schools and colleges. The rule was struck down the following year by a federal judge and is not currently in effect.
Buttigieg praised Republican members of the Indiana State Assembly who voted against a Trump-backed redistricting plan, telling Gallagher, “[They] showed a lot more solidarity than law firms and many American universities have.”
“What every firm, every university, and every politician has discovered if they try to play the game of this administration in order to survive is that sooner or later it will come back and demand more until ultimately you wind up getting eaten anyway. So stand up,” he concluded.
The Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Studies hired Buttigieg in 2020 to teach and conduct research culminating in a book on trust in political institutions. This decision drew criticism from Catholic media.
Finance major Liam Carey questioned the event’s focus on the Trump administration, telling the Rover, “I feel like much of his failed time as secretary and running for president was left out of the conversation.”
Freshman Caden Peltier agreed, saying, “He should have focused more on his own policy, it’s more than just spending all his time saying ‘Trump is bad.’”
Keough Hall resident Nick DeNatale also critiqued the focus of the talk, telling the Rover, “It should have included at least some debate as to the actual impact he made as Secretary of Transportation. Lots of lofty promises about EV chargers and high speed rail that never happened.”
Sam Marchand is a junior studying political science and finance from Beaumont, Texas. He squanders much of his spare time by reading the Current Events section of Wikipedia preparing arguments for ND Speech & Debate, of which he serves as head yapper. Contact him at smarcha3@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: WSBT 22
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