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Pete Buttigieg has ridiculed Donald Trump for relying on celebrities like Hulk Hogan and Kid Rock to “appeal to the working man” at the Republican National Convention.
Buttigieg, Biden’s transportation secretary and a potential running mate for Kamala Harris, roasted the former president during an appearance on The Daily Show on Monday with Jon Stewart. Buttigieg also criticized the GOP’s historically anti-union stance during his interview with Stewart.
“It’s this idea that if you just act like you are populist, that counts,” Buttigieg said. “I’m under no illusions that elections are just a policy exercise. A lot of it is vibes. A lot of it is style.”
He added: “If your party has been systematically against unions, against a higher minimum wage, against things like paid family leave, against overtime, then just because you found Hulk Hogan and Kid Rock and put it on stage doesn’t make you a friend of the working man.”
Hulk Hogan and Kid Rock both appeared on the final night of the Republican National Convention earlier this month in Milwaukee, ahead of Trump’s keynote speech.
The retired professional wrestler, real name Terry Bollea, appeared on stage to theme song “Real American”, roaring his signature catch phrase to the audience: “Well, let me tell you something brother!” before adding: “Let Trumpamania run wild.”
Hogan then tore his T-shirt in half to reveal a bright red Trump/Vance shirt underneath.
Kid Rock followed with a performance of “American Bad Ass”, adapted to include Trump’s “fight” chant that he made following an assassination attempt at a rally earlier this month.
Several major labor unions have endorsed Harris over Trump in the weeks since she announced her candidacy for president. Harris has racked up endorsements from the American Federation of Teachers, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Service Employees International Union.
A handful of national unions have endorsed Trump, including the International Union of Police Associations and National Association of Police Organizations.
However, one of the largest unions has yet to endorse either candidate: the Teamsters. Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, spoke at the RNC earlier this month, and said that his organization is not “beholden” to any party.
“I don’t care about getting criticized,” O’Brien said at the convention. “It’s an honor to be the first Teamster in our 120-year-history to speak to the Republican National Convention.”
