Pete Buttigieg warns democrats can't go back to pre-Trump status quo

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🗓️ 28 July 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

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Summary

Steve Inskeep speaks with former U.S. Secretary for Transportation Pete Buttigieg about where Democrats went wrong, how they can regain public trust, and why so many Americans don't believe what the government tells them about the Epstein files.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Pete Buttigieg contends President Trump is destroying American institutions.
0:06.8	Which is wrong. It is also wrong to imagine that we should have just kept everything going along the way it was.
0:13.5	How would he have Democrats change their approach? I'm Steve Inskeep, and this is a special edition of Up First from NPR News.
0:23.1	We had an extended talk with the former Transportation Secretary and presidential candidate.
0:28.1	His party looks for a reset and presses President Trump on Jeffrey Epstein.
0:32.6	You shouldn't have to be a Republican or Democrat to care about making sure there's transparency on something
0:38.6	as horrific as the abuses that happened. Also, he's one of several possible presidential contenders
0:44.2	with a beard. If you were to run, would you shave it? That's a double hypothetical. Stay with us.
0:50.9	We'll have a talk with a man once known as Mayor Pete.
1:07.9	Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working to restore a balanced relationship between people and planet.
1:11.8	The Schmidt Family Foundation is part of the philanthropic organizations and initiatives created and funded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt to work toward a healthy, resilient,
1:17.9	secure world for all. On the web at theshmit.org. This summer on Planet Money Summer School,
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