The Washington Post has already began touting the virtues of Pete Buttigieg before his possible run for the Presidency but there are a few thing to consider before he is anointed the savior of the Democrat Party. For the Washington Post’s inflated assessment of his tenure as Secretary of Transportation, read this September 2026 WaPo article
Article
Pete Buttigieg is barnstorming
for Democrats. Voters are intrigued.
The
former transportation secretary has become a high-demand campaign surrogate,
hitting nearly three dozen states. Just don’t ask him about the White House —
yet.
By
Erin Cox. 24 September 2026
In this article Buttigieg is identified as a "former
Navy intelligence officer" so let's dig a little deeper into what qualified
him to claim to be an "intelligence officer?"
Pete was identified by the press to be a “Naval Intelligence
Officer” although he had absolutely NO Intel training. That’s like being
commissioned in the Naval Medical Corps without bothering to attend medical
school. Pete got a “political” Direct Commission through the Navy's Direct
Commission Officer (DCO) program so was appointed straight to officer rank
based on his political influence rather than the standard military accession
process. He bypassed just about all training so did not attend standard Officer
Candidate School or lengthy initial military occupational specialty (MOS)
schooling prior to his commission. At the time he joined in 2009, DCO
inductees only completed a condensed TWO-WEEK indoctrination before
beginning their reserve duties. To polish up his resume he did go to
Afghanistan for about 4 months but with NO formal Intelligence training even he
described his job in country as “being an Uber driver.”
Pete
Buttigieg did not complete the Naval Intelligence Officer Basic Course (NIOBC). Because he
entered the U.S. Navy Reserve through the Direct Commission Officer (DCO)
program in 2009, he bypassed ALL the
standard, multi-month full-time active-duty training required of
traditional Navy officers.
• Different
Training Track: Rather than attending the intensive 20-week NIOBC in
Virginia Beach, Buttigieg fulfilled his initial requirements by attending
the TWO-WEEK Officer Development
School (ODS) and conducted his drill training part-time at Naval Station
Great Lakes. He received NO training in any MOS let alone specialized
Intelligence Officer Training.
• Pre-Deployment
Training: Prior to his 2014 mobilization and 4 month Afghanistan
deployment, his primary special training consisted of a short combat-skills
course at Camp McCrady in South Carolina to prepare him for individual
augmentee duties in a combat zone.
His lack of traditional, full-length military occupational school training is well documented in his military records, which show less than two months of active duty service prior to his deployment.
Now lets examine whether Pete Buttigieg was a success or a
failure as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation
This is a matter of intense debate with critics pointing to
high-profile operational crises and supporters highlighting major
infrastructure rollouts and consumer protection reforms.
Major Criticisms as the Secretary of Transportation
· Crisis Management: Critics, including various
Republican lawmakers and progressive figures like former Ohio state senator
Nina Turner, argued that Pete Buttigieg struggled to manage widespread
disruptions. They pointed to severe airline meltdowns—particularly during the
summer and holiday travel seasons of 2022—as evidence of a slow regulatory
response to carrier delays and cancellations.
· High-Profile Incidents: His tenure faced
intense scrutiny over major national events, such as the freight train
derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and the collapse of the Francis Scott Key
Bridge in Baltimore. Critics argued his responses to these infrastructural and
environmental emergencies were sometimes delayed or insufficient.
· Political Narratives: Opponents often
characterized his appointment as a political stepping stone rather than a role
suited to his prior experience as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, accusing
him of using the federal post to elevate his national profile.
· Prior Qualifications for the Job: Pete
Buttigieg’s only qualifications for the job when Biden appointed him
Transportation Secretary were he was once the mayor of a small Indiana town
with a population smaller than the University of Michigan Football Stadium on
game day and he had traveled on a train and an airplane .. oh ya, he also
proposed to his husband at an airport.
How Well Did Pete Perform as a Small Town Mayor:
During his two terms as mayor of South Bend, Indiana
(2012–2020), Pete Buttigieg faced various local criticisms and political
controversies regarding his policies and leadership. Critics, political
opponents, and community advocates have highlighted several key areas where
they argue his administration fell short:
Racial Tensions and Police Department Scandals: The most prominent criticism of Buttigieg's tenure centered
on his relationship with South Bend’s minority communities and his handling of
the police department.
· Demotion of Black Police Chief: Early in his
first term, Buttigieg demoted Darryl Boykins, the city’s first Black police chief,
following a federal investigation into unauthorized taping of phone lines
within the department. The decision alienated many African American residents
and led to years of community mistrust.
· Lack of Police Diversity: Under his leadership, the
diversity of the police force declined. By the end of his tenure, the
department was roughly 90% white, despite South Bend having a population that
was roughly 27% Black and 15% Latino.
· The Eric Logan Shooting: In June 2019, the fatal
shooting of Eric Logan, a Black resident, by a white South Bend police officer
whose body camera was inactive sparked intense local outrage. The crisis forced
Buttigieg to briefly step away from his 2020 presidential campaign to address
furious residents at emotional town halls where they accused him of failing to
protect the community.
· Housing Evictions and Demolitions: To address
urban blight, Buttigieg launched the "1,000 Properties in 1,000 Days"
initiative to repair or demolish abandoned houses. While praised by some
investors, the program drew sharp blowback from low-income and minority
homeowners. Many complained that the city aggressively leveled fines and rushed
demolitions, disproportionately impacting historic or minority neighborhoods
while accelerating local eviction rates.
· Infrastructure Disparities: Critics argued
that Buttigieg's signature economic development projects primarily favored the
downtown area at the expense of residential neighborhoods. Local community
surveys and political opponents pointed out a sharp contrast between modern
downtown redevelopment and crumbling infrastructure, such as potholes and
neglected sidewalks, on the city's West Side, which had a higher concentration
of minority residents.
· Crime and Poverty Rates: Political opponents
often targeted the city's socioeconomic metrics during his tenure. The Indiana
Republican Party regularly criticized his record, highlighting that South Bend
maintained high poverty rates and struggled with violent crime levels that
outpaced national averages during most of his administration.
Whether Pete Buttigieg was a success or a failure as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation is a matter of intense debate, with critics pointing to high-profile operational crises and supporters highlighting major infrastructure rollouts and consumer protection reforms.
