Democratic South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg responded to Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s attacks on him for fundraising with the wealthy during the sixth Democratic presidential debate Thursday, calling her out for being well-off herself.
“The mayor just recently had a fundraiser that was held in a wine cave full of crystals, and served $900 a bottle wine,” she said.
“Billionaires in wine caves should not pick the next president of the United States,” Warren added. (RELATED: Elizabeth Warren Tanks In Latest Quinnipiac Poll, Loses Double Digits As Biden Rises Again)
“You know, according to Forbes magazine, I’m literally the only person on this stage who is not a millionaire or a billionaire,” Buttigieg responded.
“So–this is important, this is the problem with issuing purity tests you cannot yourself pass. If I pledge, if I pledge never to be in the company of a progressive democratic donor, I couldn’t be up here.”
“Senator, your net worth is 100 times mine. Now, supposing that you went home and feeling the holiday spirit, I know this isn’t likely, but stay with me, and decided to go on [my website] and gave the maximum allowable by law…would that pollute my campaign because it came from a wealthy person?”
“No, I would be glad to have that support. We need the support from everybody who is committed to helping us beat Donald Trump.” Buttigieg concluded.
Indeed, the South Bend Democrat has repeatedly clashed with the more progressive Warren as well as Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders over issues like Medicare-for-all.