Video of a young Pete Buttigieg being very Pete at a college forum is going viral

A video of a young Pete Buttigieg asking a question about the American presidency as a college freshman is going viral.

The clip, posted by Twitter user @chyeaok, is from a 2001 forum on George W. Bush’s first hundred days at Harvard’s Institute of Politics. The video shows the future Transportation Secretary questioning speakers like former White House Communications Director David Gergen, New York Times political correspondent Richard Berke, political scientist Elaine Kamarck, and others.

“It’s my understanding from generations older than mine that most of the people in them who went into public service did so out of inspiration for a grand figure who was usually the American president,” Buttigieg says. “It seems like the presidency has now evolved into what’s called the MBA White House, or the corporate model.”

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“What’s happened to the image of the American presidency? And just because we know more about the men who were president, is that magic really gone forever?” he asks the panel.

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Welp since Pete Buttigieg is trending, I’ll reshare one of my favorite clips of young Pete asking a question at a college event.

Don’t let anyone tell you he’s fake or doing an Obama impression or something. He’s literally always been this thoughtful and introspective pic.twitter.com/EvmFNRdh3K

— chyea ok (@chyeaok) September 26, 2022

“Don’t let anyone tell you he’s fake or doing an Obama impression or something,” @chyeaok tweeted along with the clip. “He’s literally always been this thoughtful and introspective.”

Twitter responded with an outpouring of appreciation for Buttigieg.

I can't recall one Republican politician being as searching or ruminative as Pete was as a freshman in college.

— Peter De Socio