As the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump looms, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is preparing to step down from his role.
Buttigieg, who has been instrumental in managing the distribution of billions of dollars as part of President Biden's infrastructure legislation, spoke with NPR host Scott Detrow about his tenure.
Buttigieg highlighted the administration's infrastructure spending as a significant achievement, despite the lack of immediate public appreciation. "A lot of the things that we work on are worth doing, whether they're getting a lot of political credit or not," he said. He expressed optimism that as more projects are completed, the public will appreciate the impact of the infrastructure era. He compared it to the Affordable Care Act, which took years for people to fully appreciate.
The outgoing secretary also addressed the challenges of communicating the administration's achievements in a rapidly changing information environment. "We're now living in a time where some dude on the internet has as much authority as somebody holding themselves to the highest journalistic standards of fact-checking and research," Buttigieg said. He criticized the abandonment of fact-checking and editorial responsibility on platforms like Facebook, arguing that it has not led to a "paradise of free speech" but rather a "pretty dark turn."
When asked about his views on the internet's impact on government and public policy, Buttigieg said it has "cut both ways." While it has empowered everyone to be a reporter, it has also weakened the responsibility to separate fact from fiction.
Buttigieg also discussed his efforts to address social justice issues in transportation. He said that many projects have empowered communities that were previously overlooked by transportation projects. However, he acknowledged that there is still a long way to go.
Responding to criticism that the administration's focus on social justice amounted to identity politics, Buttigieg said, "I will never be able to relate to the idea that it's wrong to confront segregation that neighborhoods still have to live with because of some physical design decision that was made in the '50s or '60s."
As he prepares to return to civilian life, Buttigieg expressed his commitment to continue working on issues he cares about. "What I know is that most Americans believe in some basic values and some very important norms that hold our country together... And that's something that I'm going to continue to care about and work on," he said.
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