Buttigieg holds veterans-focused town hall event in Iowa amid 2028 speculation

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made a campaign-like appearance at a town hall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Tuesday, where he blasted the Trump administration, alluded to his past presidential run, and took questions on what Democrats should do to rebuild their brand.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made a campaign-like appearance at a town hall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Tuesday, where he blasted the Trump administration, alluded to his past presidential run, and took questions on what Democrats should do to rebuild their brand. “We’ve never been a perfect democracy, but democracy is the most important thing about our country, and our country is the most important democracy in the world,” Buttigieg said. “We’ve got to lean into that.” Buttigieg, a former intelligence officer in the Navy Reserves who deployed to Afghanistan, visited Iowa for a veterans-focused town hall hosted by VoteVets, a group that aims to elect progressives who’ve served. The event marked Buttigieg’s first public in-person event since finishing his Cabinet job with the Biden administration in January. At the town hall, the former transportation secretary ripped into President Donald Trump, criticizing him over the tariff war, his consideration of accepting a plane from Qatar as a gift, and his Cabinet’s use of Signal to discuss military operations. He also leaned into the importance of American democracy and Democrats’ efforts to push back on actions by the administration they say encroach on it. But Buttigieg’s appearance in the former early primary state also brought to mind his 2020 presidential run and questions about a possible 2028 campaign. That speculation was fueled by his decision this year to pass on running in Michigan’s open gubernatorial and Senate races. Buttigieg leaned into the presidential buzz early. He referenced his 2020 campaign – and his narrow win in the Iowa caucuses – soon after he took the stage.