Pete Buttigieg says Dems are too attached to a 'failing' status quo

In a recent interview with NPR, Pete Buttigieg shared some powerful thoughts about where the Democratic Party — and the country — needs to go from here. He made a compelling point: it’s not enough to just fix what Donald Trump broke.  

Instead, Buttigieg argues, Democrats have to go further. They need to reimagine the entire system so that it actually works for people today. 

It’s a wake-up call. For years, Buttigieg has pushed the idea that the government needs more than a fresh coat of paint — it needs a full renovation. In his conversation on "Morning Edition," Buttigieg highlighted a few critical points. "Democrats have been slow to understand the changes in how people get their information," he said. "Slow to understand some of the cultural changes that have been happening and — maybe most problematic of all — too attached to a status quo that has been failing us for a long time."

And that’s really the crux of it. There’s a gap between the way the party sees the world and how everyday Americans are experiencing it. Buttigieg is saying out loud what many have been whispering: the old ways of doing things just aren’t cutting it anymore.

He went on to say: "Right now, you've got an administration that is burning down many of the institutions that we have in this country, which is wrong. It is also wrong to imagine that we should have just kept everything going along the way it was. If our politics, our economy and our culture were healthy, the rise of a figure like Donald Trump would have never happened in the first place."

He’s not just criticizing Trump—he’s challenging Democrats, too. Buttigieg is pointing to something deeper: that the system itself hasn’t been working for a long time. And pretending we can go back to “normal” just isn’t going to cut it. 

Instead of just repairing departments like Education or USAID, he is pushing for transformation. He wants these institutions to be more modern, more accountable, and more connected to the real needs of today’s America.

But it’s not just about structure. It’s about trust. Buttigieg is warning that public faith in government has eroded — and that’s opened the door for conspiracy theories, misinformation, and extreme politics. If Democrats want to win people back, they have to stop avoiding the hard questions and start making bold, meaningful changes. 

In the end, Buttigieg’s message is simple but urgent: the Democratic Party has to evolve. That means letting go of what no longer works and being brave enough to build something new. It’s about tuning in to how people live now — how they get their news, who they trust, what they need — and designing a government that reflects that. 

Looking ahead to 2028 and beyond, this could be a real blueprint for Democrats. Buttigieg isn’t asking them to look back; he’s challenging them to look forward — with open eyes, open ears, and the courage to truly listen to the people they’re supposed to represent. 

Lindsey Granger is a News Nation contributor and co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising.” This column is an edited transcription of her on-air commentary.