Pete Buttigieg and Paul Rudd — who portrayed the South Bend mayor on Saturday Night Live during the Democratic debates — chatted virtually about the importance of the 2020 election as part of Rolling Stone’s Fridays for Unity event.
“I remember when — especially when you’re a mayor from Indiana in your 30s — and you think you’re getting somewhere in your presidential campaign but you’re not sure, and you turn on the TV and Paul Rudd’s playing you on SNL,” Buttigieg told Rudd. “That’s when you feel you’re really getting somewhere.”
Rudd said of his impersonation, “I apologize. I thought, ‘I bet he’s going to see this and I’m not sure this is such a great representation. Kept thinking, what are your characteristics? You roll up your sleeves, but outside of that, I didn’t know what to do.”
Rudd and Buttigieg then reflected on all that’s riding on this election, from the pandemic and the economy to climate change and racial injustice.
“You look at the racial injustice in this country and probably the number one thing that’s threatened to shallow the whole American project over the years — especially during the Civil War but not only during the Civil War — is white nationalism and white supremacy, and it’s rearing its head right now,” Buttigieg said.
“I really think these years coming up ahead of us are either going to be when we beat it down for good or when it really does devour the potential of America.”
Buttigieg added, “So many things, some many decisions are about to be made, we’re kind of locked in to set up the future of our lives. It so matter who’s in charge. This tender moment in American history, I wanna make sure it’s somebody like Joe Biden, and not a guy like Donald Trump. Because we know what we’re getting with the current president, and we know what the cost would be of four more years of Donald.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Rudd asks Buttigieg how to mend the growing divide between Democrats and Republicans, how to balance the Supreme Court and growing up “blue” in the “red” Midwest.
“If you believe in human rights, there’s really only one way to go here,” Rudd said. “But I still believe that truth and science and climate change and decency, human rights, kindness and democracy are still things that are worth fighting.”