Social media erupted with criticism after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg claimed he felt safe enough in his Washington, D.C., neighborhood to walk his dog to the U.S. Capitol.
Buttigieg tried to downplay rising crime in the nation’s capital, saying he has seen a decline in violent crime since living in D.C.
But in 2023, crime statistics were at their highest ever in the District, with a whopping 39 percent increase in violent crime from the year before and an overall increase of 26 percent.
‘We have to talk about reality here. “A lot of money and energy goes into telling a different story in the news media and online,” Buttigieg said Sunday as he spoke about crime in the city with MSNBC host and former White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
“But the simple facts and the simple reality are staring us in the face here, including the fact that today I can safely walk my dog to the Capitol in a way that you couldn’t do when we all got here,” the chief of the Capitol. Added Department of Transportation.
Just an hour after Buttigieg’s interview with Psaki, a man was stabbed and robbed while walking his dog about a mile from the U.S. Capitol in the opposite direction from where Buttigieg lives and likely takes his route with his dog.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg faced the wrath of
Buttigieg lives with his husband and adopted twin toddlers in Eastern Market, a neighborhood about a mile from the U.S. Capitol and a mile in the other direction to the Navy Yard neighborhood, where he goes to work at DOT every day.
Both Eastern Market and Navy Yard have seen an exponential increase in violent crimes and carjackings in recent years, despite many lawmakers, staffers and politicians living in these expensive enclaves of the city.
Users on
“I’m sure he does (feels safe), WITH HIS SECURITY DETAIL,” wrote a user with more than 103,000 followers on X. “Guy thinks we’re stupid.”
The RNC Research account clipped Buttigieg’s comments and posted about his security detail and DC’s 20-year high crime rate, which surpassed the spikes in all other major US cities.
Another critic wrote: ‘He can’t be that stupid, can he?’
Social media users have criticized Buttigieg for claiming he felt safe. He said this is easy to do if you have certainty
Buttigieg and his husband Chasten live in Eastern Market, a neighborhood about a mile from the U.S. Capitol
Eastern Market is located near Navy Yard, where violent crimes and carjackings have soared, with a 39 percent increase between 2022 and 2023. Pictured: Law enforcement officers hunt for an armed criminal who came across an apartment building in Navy Yard last month and remains at large
The U.S. Secret Service is tasked with providing 24/7 protection to the President and Vice President, as well as to the immediate families of these individuals.
They are also responsible for providing protection to specific Cabinet officials, including the Secretaries of Homeland Security, Defense, and the Treasury Department.
With Secretary of Transportation now 14th in line for presidential succession, Buttigieg is less likely to receive 24-hour Secret Service security.
But previous reports suggest he was at one point given outside security due to increased threats after his run for president in 2020 and became the first openly gay Cabinet secretary.