Pete Buttigieg's tenure as Transportation Secretary will soon end. The man who taught us all that highways are racist and that thousands of gallons of Polyvinylchloride will magically dissipate on its own if you ignore the train derailment that spilled it long enough will leave his post in January.
What will the transportation sector do without Mayor Pete?
2024 was a heck of a year for the transportation sector. Doors blew off of airplanes mid-flight. The airline industry was plagued with maintenance issues, staffing shortages, and antiquated computer system failures that caused cancelations and delays across the industry. Inflationary issues pressured the shipping and transportation industries as increased fuel and overhead costs drove up the cost of anything moved by truck, train, or ship. As the end of the year drew near, longshoremen threatened to shut down ports before Christmas if their demands were not met. To be fair, a union strike does not directly fall under the purview of the Transportation Secretary, but the ports that desperately need to be upgraded to stay competitive with their European and Asian counterparts sure do.
Pete has released a video reflecting on his last full year at the helm of the Transportation Department. Looking back with pride at all that he had accomplished in 2024.
Proud of all that we have been able to accomplish through hard work in 2024. pic.twitter.com/vrMGRdbbLL
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) December 28, 2024
The video takes the viewer on a year-long journey with Pete, a peek behind the curtain at the day-to-day life of a hardworking Transportation Secretary.
Recommended
Twelve clips of Pete on the job, set to music that sounds like something from a 1980s exercise video.
We see Pete in a hard hat and safety vest taking a factory tour, looking like a nit-picking OSHA inspector who's about to write a citation because your company's emergency eye wash station doesn't meet the current ergonomic standards.
We see Pete overlooking things and trying to read plans or blueprints. There's even a shot of him walking through the woods. We're not sure what he's trying to portray there, but walking is technically a form of transportation, so we suppose it fits.
The video also includes a shot of Pete on a passenger train (The man does love trains) and, of course, at a podium, trying to look presidential. Pete is widely believed to be harboring aspirations for a run at the Oval Office in 2028. While this video may leave him looking more keynote speaker-ish than presidential, he's got time to work on it.
What Pete's video doesn't show is any accomplishments. Nadda, zilch, not a one.
That would be a great big zero. Abject failure.
— Bleu Cheque (@VERBAL_CHANCLA) December 29, 2024
Pete started out with some lofty ambitions. He saw an American future where highspeed rails crisscrossed the nation and gas pumps everywhere were replaced with EV charging stations.
It just so happens that Americans prefer planes to trains, and when we pack up our vehicles for a Grizwald-style family road trip, we want our spacious, gas-powered SUVs.
Just drove to the store and back and can confirm the roads felt less racist. Job well done! https://t.co/ZCxwFLxBuR
— Doug Powers (@ThePowersThatBe) December 29, 2024
Now, there's an accomplishment that children in history classes will be learning about for generations. Funny, it didn't make the video.
Ah yes. Such pride. He spent 8 billion taxpayer dollars to install half a dozen EV charging stations
— The Dank Knight 🦇 (@capeandcowell) December 29, 2024
So proud of the accomplishments https://t.co/mwLSarl5pk
To be fair to Pete, that's probably three too many, given the current rate of EV car sales.
Sure, Pete 🙄 https://t.co/vrHoCXFK2k pic.twitter.com/ZHV7djRfL9
— still JOHNNY and still a.k.a BECKY (@JR13717022) December 29, 2024
Nothing to see here. Everything is fine. Besides, it's rained a few times since then, and as they say, 'Dilution is the solution to pollution.' Right?
You called roads racist and went on vacation a lot, Pete. https://t.co/PHIzVkeyUz
— The🐰FOO (@PolitiBunny) December 29, 2024
This may be why the left likes him so much. He checks all the right boxes, panders to all the right people, talks a lot, and doesn't do much. He's the perfect Biden protege—a younger, gayer version of Joe with better memory and stronger bladder.
He might just have a shot at that 2028 Democratic nomination.
Next month we get a Transportation secretary who will actually get something done
— PointBreak0191 (@PGard0191) December 28, 2024
We might have been a little bit harsh when we called Pete's video revisionist. When compared to his tenure as the Secretary of Transportation, a video with no accomplishments is a fairly accurate description. Minus those 7 or 8 EV charging stations, of course.
As Pete nostalgically looks back on 2024, the rest of us look forward to 2025 without him. It's shaping up to be a better new year already.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member