South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg issued a generational call to arms Thursday as he addressed the Young Democrats of America’s national convention.
It was Buttigieg’s first Indianapolis campaign stop since he officially launched his presidential bid.
Buttigieg referenced the recent controversy over President Donald Trump’s racist tweets, condemning them while cautioning Democrats not to allow Trump to “steal all the oxygen” from the conversation.
“We need to make them answer to our agenda because ours is the agenda of the American people,” Buttigieg says.
But Buttigieg was also met with chants of “Black Lives Matter” amid criticism of his record with communities of color. He acknowledged those chants and that criticism.
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“We’ve laid out what I believe is the most comprehensive plan in the 2020 field on what we’re specifically going to do, with intention, to dismantle systemic racism in this country," Buttigieg says. "The plan’s very well-received but I’ve got a lot of work to do to go out and communicate it.”
Buttigieg says he also needs to build up his name recognition with voters across the country.
