Trump mocks Buttigieg’s height: ‘I’ve had him up to here’
President Trump took shots at South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a Democratic presidential candidate, during a speech at a House GOP retreat in Baltimore.
“I think it was boot-edge-edge, boot-edge-edge. They said ‘think of it as boot, and then edge, edge’ because nobody can pronounce this guy’s name,” Trump said, mocking the pronunciation of the mayor’s last name.
The president later gestured to his chest and said “I’ve had him up to here,” an apparent shot at Buttigieg’s height.
{mosads}Trump also cited polling showing Buttigieg leading Trump by 2 points among Texas voters, although he did not specify which polls.
“They said Boot-edge-edge, can you believe this guy? He’s doing a rotten job running his own city, a lousy job. But they say Boot-edge-edge is 2 points up in the state of Texas against President Trump. I said ‘I don’t think so.’ I don’t think so. No, I don’t worry about that too much,” Trump said.
He said energy policy was one area where he would beat Buttigieg. Trump traveled to Texas earlier this year ahead of signing two executive orders that aimed to speed up oil and gas pipeline construction.
“Nobody. Boot-edge-edge. They say Boot-edge-edge and Trump. But what I’ve done for energy? If anybody beat me in Texas? I don’t think anyone can beat me. I don’t think Rockefeller can beat me in Texas,” Trump said at the Thursday retreat.
Trump is way off script and things are getting weird. Here is is saying “Buttigieg” a bunch of times before mocking Mayor Pete’s height. pic.twitter.com/uo3EkRJzx2
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 13, 2019
This is not the first time Trump has leveled attacks at Buttigieg. At a campaign rally in North Carolina earlier this year, Trump also called out the pronunciation of Buttigieg’s name and said Vice President Pence, who was formerly the governor of Indiana, has criticized him.
“He runs a failed city. His city is doing so badly. Mike Pence was the governor of that state. I said, ‘How was he as the mayor?’” Trump said. “Mike is one of the nicest human beings you’ll ever meet, and Mike said, ‘He never did a good job. I’m so shocked to see him running.’”
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