Social Media Users Point Out Pete Buttigieg Less Popular Among Black People Than Ex-KKK Leader David Duke Was in 2016

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Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is less popular among black voters than former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke was in 2016, according to a new poll amplified on social media.

Just 4% of black voters said they would support Buttigieg if the 2028 Democratic presidential primary were held today, according to the Fall 2025 Yale Youth Poll.

Social media users were quick to point out that former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke received more support from black voters after announcing his Louisiana Senate campaign in 2016, with 14% of black voters backing Duke at the time.

While Buttigieg was one of the least popular potential candidates among black Democrats, according to the Yale poll, he still managed to receive more support than Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (0%) and former Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz (1%).

Former Vice President Kamala Harris was overwhelmingly the most popular candidate among black Democrats at 47%, followed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom at 12% and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at 9%.

White, Hispanic, and Asian Democrats all expressed preference for Newsom over Harris, with white Democrats choosing Buttigieg as their second-favorite candidate.

Buttigieg received the most support from elderly voters, with 18% of Democrats aged 65 or older backing him for president.

Republicans, meanwhile, overwhelmingly favored Vice President JD Vance for president in 2028, with 51% expressing support for him as a candidate.

Vance was followed by Donald Trump Jr. at 8%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 6%, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley at 5%, Secretary of State Marco Rubio at 5%, and Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tied with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson at 3% each.

Carlson was the second-most popular Republican among young voters aged 18 to 22, beaten only by Vance.