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The Situation Room

Interview With Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY); Interview With Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Aired 10:30a-11a ET

Aired July 24, 2026 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[10:30:00]

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[10:34:25]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Happening now: Midterm season is in full swing, but, believe it or not, so are the unofficial shadow primaries for the 2028 presidential election.

A poll just released this week shows New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Cortez and Pete Buttigieg leading a hypothetical Democratic field in New Hampshire. The survey found Ocasio-Cortez with 22 percent support among likely Democratic primary voters there, while Buttigieg stands at 21 percent and other possible contenders trail behind.

Joining us now is Pete Buttigieg. He previously served as the transportation secretary under President Biden.

[10:35:04]

Mr. Secretary, thanks so much for joining us.

Of course, I understand this is just one poll, an early poll about a contest that is still more than two years away. But what do you take away from it?

PETE BUTTIGIEG, FORMER U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: Well, thanks for having me on.

And, yes, when I see these polls about an election cycle that hasn't even started yet, I just try to return my focus to what's going on right now. The 2026 November elections are hugely important.

I think Americans are hungry for something different. Even people who generally prefer a Republican in the White House would like to see more balance, somebody in Congress who can do something about the corruption, can do something about this Iran war that we're all paying for at the pump, do something about the cost of housing and health care.

And I'm doing everything I can to make myself useful out on the trail for the people who are running at a moment when I'm not. BLITZER: You and Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez seem to represent very

different parts of your Democratic Party, at least ideologically. What does it say about Democratic voters right now that the two of you appear to be neck-and-neck, in their eyes at least, at least in New Hampshire?

BUTTIGIEG: Well, I think it shows that there are a lot of different ways to be a Democrat, and that's OK. We're not a command-and-control kind of party.

But I think there are a lot of people, again, not just kind of card- carrying Democrats, but a lot of independents and quite a few people who normally vote Republican, who are looking for big change. They're looking for something very different than this pattern of tax cuts for the wealthy and health care cuts for the rest of us.

And I also think that there's a competition of ideas right now to show what we're going to do to change the system that we're dealing with. It's not just the individual policies that are hurting Americans, the tariffs, the Iran war, the health care cuts. It's the system that makes that possible, that makes it possible for you to have government be so out of touch.

Now, in a way, I think this president came to power promising that he was going to change the system. He certainly broke a lot of things, but I don't think most people feel like the system is much better. I think, in my own party, there's a lot of competition for ideas about what will make a difference, but also a lot of unity.

When I think about something like getting money out of politics, I was in Montana, obviously a more conservative state, where I saw Democrats, Republicans, and independents coming together to put a ballot initiative out that will do something about this relentless flow of corporate dark money into our campaigns.

It's just one example of something that shouldn't have to be viewed as a left or right kind of thing, but does represent serious reform that's got to happen sooner, rather than later.

BLITZER: You recently urged Iowa Democrats to connect with party outsiders in the lead-up to November's midterm elections. When you have been out there on the campaign trail, do voters view you, you, as an outsider? Is your service in the Biden administration seen as an asset or a political liability?

BUTTIGIEG: Well, obviously, I entered national politics as an outsider, a voice from Indiana, the mayor of the fourth largest city in the state of Indiana, trying to make a case about how our entire country could be different.

When I did go to Washington, I'm proud of the work that I was able to do, especially on protecting airline passengers and building infrastructure across America. But, frankly, also my four years trying to get something done at the federal level deepened my belief that there needs to be massive change in how our federal and national institutions work. And it's made me even more convinced and committed to the idea that we

cannot return to some previous status quo. I know there's a temptation for many Democrats to imagine, OK, what we have got to do is take power, change the way things are going and reverse the damage and put things back.

But anything that has the word back in it, anything that has the prefix "re" at the beginning of it is something I'm very skeptical of, because the truth is, the old status quo wasn't working either. I believed that when I ran for president in order to shake things up, and I experienced that when I had my opportunity to serve in the government.

BLITZER: You're now a resident of the battleground state of Michigan, where, of course, there's a very contentious primary under way between moderate Haley Stevens and progressive Abdul El-Sayed.

Let's watch what the Republican candidate Mike Rogers said about the Democrats in a call with supporters. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE ROGERS (R), MICHIGAN SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: And so what we're trying to do is let them go after each other while we're building this team up over the summer. That's why door-to-door has been so important. And, by the way, if he wins, I think we're in good shape.

I mean, I think he is so radical, I think he's going to lose big parts of the west part of the state. We think we can do well as part of the southeast part of the state. I think we will do well if he, in fact, is the is the nominee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: I know, Secretary, you have represented working-class voters before. Is Rogers' assessment that we just heard about Abdul El-Sayed correct?

[10:40:00]

BUTTIGIEG: Well, I think that Mike Rogers' comments reflect why it's very important for us to have a unified party coming after a primary that's pretty late.

But beyond the kind of political tactics of it all, what I would say is that Mike Rogers is running on a platform of continuing what we have got with President Trump, which is increasingly and deeply unpopular in Michigan.

He would be a rubber stamp for the Iran war that's causing us all to pay more at the pump. He'd be a rubber stamp for these cuts to health care that have hurt across the country, but they have certainly hurt a lot of people like my neighbors in Michigan.

And he'd be a rubber stamp for these tax cuts for the wealthy that working families in Michigan just can't understand why we're being told as a country that we can't afford nice things like good health care, good schools, at the same moment when there are enormous tax cuts being lavished on the biggest corporations and the wealthiest individuals in the country.

Mike Rogers stands for all of that. That's why he got beat last time he runs for Senate, and that's why I think he will get beat this time as well. I'm going to do my part as a Democrat active in the public scene and, of course, as a resident of Michigan to help make sure that we defeat Mike Rogers.

BLITZER: So do you actually plan to endorse in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary? And, if you do endorse, who is your choice?

BUTTIGIEG: I think the most constructive role I can play is to make sure that we all pull together.

Look, this is a very spirited and intense primary. It's also a primary between supporters who believe very strongly that the direction that Mike Rogers and Donald Trump want us to go in is the wrong direction, that we can do much better for that.

Again, Michigan's primary is one of the latest in the country, so it will only give us a few weeks to pull together. But I'm going to do my part to help us pull together during those weeks leading to the general election in November.

BLITZER: Another potential 2028 presidential candidate, Rahm Emanuel, has just written an article in "The Wall Street Journal" entitled "The Bernie Bros Could Spoil Democrats' Midterms."

And I'm quoting him now: "The DSA, Democratic Socialists of America, and others are saddling the Democratic Party with nominees whose wildly unpopular positions will protect Republicans from having to pay the price of Donald Trump's corruption and economic incompetence" -- end quote.

Do you agree with Rahm Emanuel?

BUTTIGIEG: Yes, I think those of us who are more moderate in the party should concentrate our efforts on talking about what we're for, just like the Democratic Party as a whole has to be about more than just being against Republicans.

Folks within the party who have a strong point of view have to be about more than just being against other people inside the same party that we might disagree with on certain things. We need to be clear what we will do that will make a difference, how we can set up health care that everybody can afford, so you don't have this situation that's happening now, where people are choosing between a mortgage payment and a health insurance premium.

And that's before the worst of the Trump Medicaid cuts go into effect next year. They were, of course, cleverly timed to come after the midterm elections. We have got to be clear about how we will make sure that the wealthiest people and the biggest corporations pay their fair share in taxes and do it in a way that we can still have economic growth, but we have a little bit more fairness and the ability to do things together as a country.

We have got to be talking about the political reforms that we are for, starting with getting money out of politics, including a constitutional amendment, if that's what it takes. This is the kind of agenda that I think can be unifying, and I'm much more interested in that than any kind of factional project inside or outside the Democratic Party.

BLITZER: Let's turn to the war with Iran right now. You're a military veteran. You deployed to Afghanistan back in 2014.

How would you advise Democrats to speak about the conflict and the Trump administration's handling of this war with Iran when making the case to voters?

BUTTIGIEG: Well, a lot of voters believed President Trump when he promised to keep us out of wars like this and have seen with their own eyes what's happening now.

That represents an opening for us to engage those voters who maybe haven't given us a hearing in a while. An opening is not the same thing as an answer. We have got to explain what we're setting out to do.

But I think it's very clear to most voters, to most Americans that we are worse off because of this war. And it it's led to a string of broken promises that the president can't explain away, first of all, his promise he wouldn't get us into a war like this in the first place, then the promise that he was going to achieve regime change and unconditional surrender, obviously not what's happening, and then the promise that this would be over in a few weeks.

And this denial about the war is especially shocking when you look at the disrespect that has been shown to those who are paying the heaviest price for it.

The fact that the Trump administration deleted references to four American service members killed in action because that simple and tragic reality complicates their narrative that we're somehow not at war, when everybody knows that we are, shows you just how far from reality they are. And I think voters are fed up with it.

[10:45:08]

BLITZER: Bottom line, are you thinking of running for president in 2028?

BUTTIGIEG: I'm totally focused on 2026.

The future -- who knows exactly what the future will hold, but I know how to make myself useful right now. And that's getting out around the country, including especially in more conservative areas, pounding the ground, making the case for candidates I believe in, causes I believe in, and I will keep doing that through November. BLITZER: Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, as usual,

thanks so much for joining us.

BUTTIGIEG: Thank you. Good to be on.

BLITZER: And coming up next hour, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus will hold a field hearing in Houston after a Mexican national was shot and killed by ICE at a traffic stop.

We will be joined by Congressman Adriano Espaillat, who's part of that hearing and challenging ICE's account of the events. He's standing by live.

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[10:50:04]

BLITZER: Happening now: growing tensions and calls for justice after the death of a Mexican man at the hands of ICE.

This month, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a homebuilder who has lived in the United States for decades, was driving his crew to a job site in Houston. That's when immigration agents who say they were looking for someone else attempted to stop his white van.

Homeland Security says the 52-year-old responded by ramming an ICE vehicle, forcing an officer to open fire in self-defense, his death sparking protests in Texas' largest city and mounting calls for an independent investigation.

Let's discuss this and more with Democratic Congressman and Hispanic Caucus Chairman Adriano Espaillat. He's one of several congressional Democrats meeting in Houston today for a forum on Salgado Araujo's death.

Congressman, thanks so much for joining us. Thanks so much for doing what you're doing.

A statement issued by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas made no mention of a collision between Salgado Araujo's van and an ICE vehicle. What do you think is going on here?

REP. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT (D-NY): Well, we're perplexed that it doesn't mention many things. And, in fact, ICE nor other authorities have agreed to come before these hearings.

We will be hearing from the Harris County DA and other local leaders. And, of course, we will be hearing from the son, who will be with us today. I'm here to join Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, who's the representative and a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Wolf, this comes after we gave ICE, Congress gave ICE $113 billion with no strings attached, a blank check with no reforms, with no oversight. There's been a surge in hiring and a reduction in training. And so this is a very serious situation that has led to the death of many people. Eight people have been killed under the custody of immigration

officers, including, of course, the two killings in Minnesota of U.S. citizens.

BLITZER: Yes, we all know about that.

You're set to meet with Salgado Araujo's family later today. What do you plan, Congressman, to say to them?

ESPAILLAT: We want to hear from them. We want to hear their concerns, their points of view regarding this tragic situation, where there is obviously a surge also in noncriminal apprehensions.

And people that don't have a criminal record, people that are working people, family people are being stopped, are being arrested by ICE. This does not exclude U.S. citizens, as we have seen. Also, they're subject to a level of harassment.

We want body cameras. There were no body cameras or no film footage on this particular death or the one in Maine, and we're asking for the body camera program, which is $20 million, to be implemented immediately. We want to deal with the issue of deadly force, the use of deadly force by ICE.

We want to make sure there's additional training and that the officers have the mental fitness that is required by this difficult job. And none of this is being addressed by ICE.

BLITZER: And I just want you to react. The president's border czar, Tom Homan, is blaming Democrats, Democrats, for the fact that they're not wearing body cameras. Listen to what he says, and then we will get your reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: I'm a supporter of body cameras. I know that body cameras exonerate officers almost 90 percent of the time. I want the American people to see what that ICE agent sees.

When Democrats shut the government down, I was a part of that negotiation team up on the Hill. The reason there was not body cameras nationwide right now, because they shut the government down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So what's your response to that, Congressman?

ESPAILLAT: That's totally false.

They got $113 billion, Wolf. They have the money. They should purchase the cameras immediately. They should implement the program. In addition, $20 million of the $113 billion that they got, it is particularly for that program.

The prior administration put a pilot project in place utilizing body cameras and also respecting sensitive locations. This administration has refused to do that.

BLITZER: The Associated Press is reporting that the Trump administration's immigration crackdown has resulted in at least eight deaths across the country. Many people want to know what Congress can do about all of this.

And what's your answer to them?

[10:55:01]

ESPAILLAT: Well, the use of deadly force must be examined, must be dealt with. Officers must be trained. We need to address this.

This is not only applicable, obviously, to immigrants, most of which, by the way, Wolf, are not criminals. They haven't -- they haven't had a criminal record. This also applies to U.S. citizens. We had to go into court to access detention centers and get a ruling from a federal court so that we can access the detention center and go and visit the many, the thousands of people that are being arrested every day.

There's a quota, Wolf, of 2,000 arrests per day that's being implemented by ICE.

BLITZER: Congressman Adriano Espaillat, as usual, thanks so much for joining us.

ESPAILLAT: Thank you for having me once again.

BLITZER: All right, good luck.

Here's what's coming up all new at the top of the hour.

Take two, the White House Correspondents' Dinner redo happening later tonight here in Washington, the changes after a gunman opened fire at the annual dinner back in April. We all remember that.

And outbreak expands. Four, yes, four more states are now linked to the diarrhea illness caused by microscopic cyclospora, the parasite. What we're learning. There's new information, information you need to know.

And they're part of the family, but owning pets is getting more and more expensive. Our own David Goldman, he will be back to "Make it Make Sense."

That's all new in the next hour.

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BLITZER: Right now, President Trump is weighing whether he will expand the war with Iran, yes, expand, with a massive, in his words, a "massive attack, bigger than ever before" -- end quote.

And there's more breaking news. Measles in the United States, the number of cases just hit a 35-year high.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. Pamela Brown is off. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.