Pete Buttigieg started the night by greeting one of the moderators in Spanish. The first question he was asked was about free college for all which he does not support across the board.
When the candidates were asked to raise their hands if they support giving up private insurance, Buttigieg did not raise his hand. Buttigieg says he does not want to abandon all private payer plans. He says the healthcare issue is personal for him because he started 2019 by dealing with his father's terminal illness. He wants every family to have the freedom to do what is medically right for them.
In talking about what is going on at the border, Buttigieg says the GOP has lost all claim to representing religious principles by what they have done to children on the border. He says Republicans who would put children in cages have lost all right to ever use Christianity as a calling card again.
On the issue of China, Buttigieg said, "They're using technology for the perfection of dictatorship...at a moment when their authoritarian model is being held up to ours...we need to invest in our own domestic competitiveness."
Buttigieg was asked about the officer-involved shooting in South Bend that killed Eric Logan. As for increasing the number of minority officers on the force, Buttigieg said, "I couldn't get it done. My community is in anguish right now." He went on to say, "This is an issue that is facing our community and so many communities around this country...there is a wall of mistrust."
Other candidates on the debate stage called out Buttigieg for not firing the police chief.
Here is analysis on Buttigieg's answer on the police shooting by NPR:
Buttigieg Pressed On South Bend Policing
Pete Buttigieg was pressed on the racial makeup of the police force in South Bend, Ind., where he is the mayor. Black police officers are underrepresented on the force. Buttigieg took responsibility for the disparity. “I couldn’t get it done,” he said. But he added that he is committed to ensuring that black Americans feel safe when they encounter the police.
Buttigieg had to leave the campaign trail for a few days to deal with fallout from a fatal police shooting in South Bend. A white police officer shot and killed a black man on June 16. The city is investigating the incident; the officer did not activate his body cam before the shooting. Some black residents have criticized Buttigieg’s response and have questioned his commitment to the town while he’s running for president.
In a "lightning round" style of questioning where candidates were asked to name their top issue, Buttigieg began by saying, "We've got to fix our democracy before it's too late. "
As for climate change, Buttigieg said that rural America can be part of the solution instead of being told they are part of the problem. He also talked about a carbon tax.
For the most part, as some candidates spoke over one another trying to get time for extra comments, Buttigieg did not use that technique.
Buttigieg was asked about assault rifles as the only person on the stage with military experience. He says, "We trained on these weapons. As many as were lost at Parkland, were lost in my city alone. If more guns made us safer we would be the safest country on earth, it doesn't work that way... As someone who trained on weapons of war I can tell you these are weapons that have no business in American cities in peaetime ever."
What is the first relationship you would like to reset if elected President following President Trump's term? Buttigieg says, "We have no idea which of our allies he will have pissed off the worst between now and then."
In his "closing argument" Buttigieg said, "Help me deliver a new generation to Washington before it's too late."