Gephardt questions Buttigieg at town hall in reverse of ’04 campaign

Former Democratic presidential candidate Dick Gephardt questioned Mayor Pete Buttigieg at an MSNBC Hardball town hall on Monday, a role reversal nearly twenty years after Buttigieg questioned Gephardt in the same setting.

In 2003, a young Pete Buttigieg asked presidential candidate Dick Gephardt a question.

In 2019, Dick Gephardt makes a surprise @hardball appearance to return the favor. #PetePlaysHardball https://t.co/q9D2LOWi8m pic.twitter.com/K3LhBl6Y6X

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 4, 2019

 “Here’s my question, Mayor Pete. So I get asked all the time by people all over the country what about the future of our democracy of America,” Gephardt, who ran for president in 2004, asked Buttigieg from a remote location. 

“My answer is very simple. I’ve always been optimistic about America because the people are good, and they’re good citizens. You’re out there meeting thousands of them. Am I still right?” he said. 

“That’s my experience, that they just want to know that they’re going to be okay,” Buttigieg responded. “People can have good and bad things called out from within us. We’re all capable of good and bad things.” 

Gephardt went on to praise Buttigieg and the rest of the 2020 Democratic field, saying he was proud of them. 

“Just keep doing what you’re doing. Work hard every day,” Gephardt said. “I’m proud of you and proud of all the candidates.” 

Buttigieg asked Gephardt in 2003 why he did not attend a Rock the Vote youth forum during the campaign. 

“I was pretty hard on him,” Buttigieg jokingly said.