2020 candidate Pete Buttigieg did not answer MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews’ question about naming a living Republican he respects during his town hall Monday night.
“Name some of your public figures — Republicans who[m] you respect,” Matthews said. “Living Republicans. I’ll give you a few seconds.”
“Oh, I had such a great answer if it wasn’t living,” the South Bend, Indiana, mayor answered.
Matthews responded, “I know. Abraham Lincoln.”
“No, I got a better one for you,” the mayor said.
“Teddy Roosevelt,” Matthews continued.
“Even better. Wendell Wilkey,” Buttigieg answered. “He’s from Indiana, he was — put country before party.”
“He united the country going into World War II. He was Roosevelt’s diplomat going to Britain to unite the world there,” Matthews stated before moving on.
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Democratic presidential candidate South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks during the California Democrats 2019 State Convention (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Wilkey was the Republican presidential nominee in 1940, even though he was previously a Democrat. (RELATED: Pete Buttigieg Surges In Latest Democratic 2020 Emerson Poll)
Buttigieg currently sits in fourth in a recent Morning Consult poll with 7% of the 16,368 polls conducted from May 20-26 2019. Ahead of him are former Vice President Joe Biden, 38%; independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, 20%; and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, 9%.