In remarks at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, outgoing Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg offered some poignant advice to students, telling them not to "give up" as President-elect Donald Trump prepares his return to the White House next week.
Buttigieg urged students not to give in to despair or disengage in the face of another Trump term, saying:
“How can we give up? We don’t have the right to give up. Like, think about the stuff other people didn’t give up in the face of. Then think about how things change."
"Yes, sometimes change for the worse. And sometimes, things don’t change in time. But sometimes, things change faster than you ever thought they would.”
Reflecting on his own journey, he shared how, as a college student in the early 2000s, he doubted he could ever be elected as an openly gay person in his home state of Indiana.
Yet, less than a decade later, he was inaugurated as the Mayor of South Bend at just 29 years old. After serving two terms, he launched a presidential campaign, securing a win in the Iowa caucus and finishing second in New Hampshire. While Buttigieg ultimately ended his presidential bid, he made history during the same election cycle. As President Joe Biden’s Secretary of Transportation, he became the first openly gay Cabinet official in U.S. history.
On this note, he had this to say:
“As recently as when I was sitting in the seat of a student at an institution not that different from the Ford school, watching politicians give speeches, wondering if I’d ever be among them. I knew I probably wouldn’t, because I was categorically denied from holding office where I came from, because I was gay."
“And then I wasn’t… I was gay. I wasn’t disqualified."
With this in mind, he communicated a message of resilience, gratitude, and the importance of active engagement in creating change:
“Things change."
"But that didn’t just happen because I waited around long enough. It happened because other people put their careers on the line and their futures on the line and made it change in less than one political lifetime so I get to be here as a Cabinet official, offering the ‘World according to Pete’ to a room full of students, weighing what our complicated future is going to be."
"So how can I give up?”
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Many were moved by Buttigieg's remarks and applauded the Transportation Secretary.
Washington is preparing for Trump’s inauguration next week amid heightened political tensions and security concerns.
Monday's ceremony, which will include a swearing-in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and a parade to the White House, is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of spectators. The event will follow a weekend filled with protests by Trump’s opponents and celebrations by his supporters.
Security measures are extensive, with 25,000 law enforcement officers deployed and numerous checkpoints established to manage the crowds.
At a press briefing, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool described the country as being in a “higher-threat environment.” While officials have not identified any specific or coordinated threats to the inauguration, they are particularly concerned about potential actions by lone individuals.
Adding to the highly charged environment, earlier this week, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith announced that an estimated 25,000 people are expected to participate in the anti-Trump People's March on DC this Saturday.
