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.
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%.