Pete Buttigieg Gets Defensive When ABC’s Jon Karl Confronts Him With Poll Showing 58% of Dems Don’t Want Biden to Run Again: He’s Been ‘Historically Successful’

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg got defensive when confronted with some highly unflattering poll numbers for President Joe Biden.

In an interview on ABC’s This Week, host Jon Karl presented Buttigieg with an ABC News/Washington Post poll showing that 58 percent of Democrats do not want the president to run for reelection, compared to just 31 percent who would like to see him pursue a second term.

“Do you want him to run again?” Karl asked. “I mean, you saw our poll. Large number of Democrats say they don’t want him to run again.”

Buttigieg bristled, and proceeded to give Biden praise that even his most ardent fans would likely consider to be over-the-top.

“He is an absolutely historically successful president.” Buttigieg said. He added, “I’m incredibly proud to be part of this team that he has built and to be part of the results that he is delivering. The biggest infrastructure package since Eisenhower. The most significant economic achievement package since since FDR. All, by the way, while having the most the slimmest congressional majority of any new Democratic president in about 100 years. And again, we’re just two years in. So what he’s achieved is extraordinary.”

The secretary noted that he was not permitted to speak about potential campaigns when appearing on television in his capacity as a government official. But he broadly suggested that he believes his boss will surprise people in the fall of 2024.

“One thing this president has done again and again and again, whether it’s politically or whether it’s policy wise, is defy expectations,” he said. “And it’s one of many reasons why I’m humbled and honored to be part of this team.”

Watch above, via ABC.