Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg earned wild applause from “The Daily Show” audience with his response to a quote from GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance.
Vance has “systematically insulted so many people,” Buttigieg, who is reportedly being considered as Kamala Harris’ running mate, said during a lengthy interview with host Jon Stewart that aired on Monday.
Buttigieg highlighted Vance’s argument that people who don’t have children “have no physical commitment to the future of this country.”
“When I was deployed to Afghanistan, I didn’t have kids back then, but I will tell you, especially when there was a rocket attack going on, my commitment to this country felt pretty physical,” said Buttigieg.
Both the audience and Stewart applauded.
The “framing is perfect,” said Stewart. “It points to that idea that, ‘Who are you to tell what’s in someone else’s heart about what they feel about the future or what they feel about this country?’ And the sacrifices that you made, as you said, without having had children, were tremendous.”
Watch the full interview here: