HIS NEW REPORTING IS THE NEW IF
NICHE OF "THE NEW YORKER."
WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING ON.
>>> BEFORE LEAVING PITTSBURGH
YESTERDAY, JOE BIDEN ATTENDED A
VIRTUAL LGBTQ FUND-RAISER WHERE
HE CONTINUED TO CRITICIZE THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR
ENCROACHING ON LGBTQ RIGHTS AND
REITERATED HIS PLEDGE TO SIGN
THE EQUALITY ACT IF ELECTED
PRESIDENT.
MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG APPEARED AT
THAT EVENT AND JOINING US IS HIS
HUSBAND, CHASTEN BUTTIGIEG, WHO
IS OUT TODAY WITH A NEW MEMOIR
ENTITLED "I HAVE SOMETHING TO
TELL YOU."
CHASTEN, WELCOME.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW.
YOU SHARE A LOT ABOUT OVERCOMING
SOME INCREDIBLE OBSTACLES AND
EVEN ABUSE IN YOUR LIFE, BUT
WHAT IS IT OVERALL IN THE BOOK
YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW, WHAT IS
IT YOU WANT TO TELL US?
>> THE THING I WANTED PEOPLE TO
TAKE AWAY FROM THE BOOK, AND I
HOPE THEY DO, THAT THEY’RE NOT
ALONE.
MANY THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO ME
ALONG THE WAY, I FELT I NEEDED
TO KEEP LOCKED UP INSIDE,
WHETHER IT WAS GROWING UP GAY IN
NORTHERN MICHIGAN OR COMING OUT,
BEING DIFFERENT.
WHEN I WENT OUT ON THE CAMPAIGN
TRAIL AND MET THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE, I REALIZE, THESE STORIES
AREN’T UNIQUE.
THEY ARE AMERICAN.
I HOPE PEOPLE PICK UP THIS BOOK
AND REALIZE THEY’RE NOT ALONE.
I GO INTO SOME DARK STUFF.
LIFE ISN’T ALWAYS GLOSSY AND
PERFECT AND I WANTED TO SHARE
THAT BECAUSE I WANT PEOPLE TO
SEE THAT ON THE PAGE.
OH, THAT’S HAPPENED TO SOMEBODY
ELSE, TOO.
>> CAN YOU TELL US HOW THE
CAMPAIGN EITHER CHANGED YOU,
WHAT SURPRISED YOU BY IT ALL,
WHAT YOU DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT IT,
BECAUSE YOU GUYS -- MAYOR PETE
WAS REALLY A BREAKOUT STAR IN
THE CAMPAIGN.
>> YEAH.
I DON’T KNOW IF WE HAVE ENOUGH
TIME TO GO THROUGH EVERYTHING
I’D WANT TO SAY ABOUT THAT, BUT
THAT’S A GOOD CHUNK OF THE BOCK.
I WAS NEVER POLITICAL, SO I WENT
OUT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL AND I
TALKED ABOUT WHAT I KNEW.
AND I MET WITH TEACHERS AND
STUDENTS AND I TOURED LGBTQ
CENTERS.
I TOURED CENTERS OF HOMELESS
SERVICE PROVIDERS.
I JUST WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW
THAT OUR CAMPAIGN SAW THEM.
THEY WEREN’T ALONE AND WE WERE
GOING TO GO TO WASHINGTON AND
FIGHT FOR THEM.
I LOVED TALKING WITH PEOPLE.
I LOVED MEETING PEOPLE FACE TO
FACE.
IF YOU SPEND ALL DAY ON TWITTER
AND YOU SPEND ALL DAY ONLINE, IT
CAN BE A PRETTY DARK PLACE.
BUT WHEN YOU GO OUT AND LOOK
SOMEONE IN THE EYES, A KID
HOLDING YOUR HAND TALKING ABOUT
THEIR COMING OUT STORY, YOU CAN
SHARE YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE, YOUR
FILLED WITH HOPE ABOUT WHERE
THIS COUNTRY CAN GO AND WHAT
SERVICE IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK
LIKE.
IT’S ABOUT MEETING PEOPLE AND
LOOKING THEM IN THE FACE AND
SAYING, I AM GOING TO FIGHT FOR
YOU.
I WANT THINGS TO BE BETTER FOR
YOU.
I LOVED ALL OF THAT.
I MEAN, OF COURSE, THERE WAS,
YOU KNOW, DRAMA AND IT WAS
EXHAUSTING AND WE WERE SOMETIMES
IN FOUR OR FIVE STATES A DAY.
I GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT IN THE
BOO,
BOOK.
THE BEST PART WAS MEETING WITH
PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE
TALKING ABOUT A BETTER, MORE
HOPEFUL FUTURE FOR THIS COUNTRY.
>> KASIE HUNT WILL TAKE THE NEXT
QUESTION.
KASIE?
>> CHASTEN, GOOD MORNING.
IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU.
I’M CURIOUS --
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE IN THE
POLITICAL SPOUSE’S CLUB IN A WAY
THAT’S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE’VE
SEEN IN THE PAST?
DOUG IMHOF, KAMALA HARRIS’S
HUSBAND MIGHT BE THE FIRST
SECOND GENTLEMAN OF THE UNITED
STATES.
YOU AND PETE ARE FIRST EXAMPLES
WHERE YOU ARE THE SPOUSE IN THAT
KIND OF SITUATION.
DID YOU GET TO BE FRIENDS WITH
THE OTHER SPOUSES AND WHAT IS
THE NEW DYNAMIC LIKE?
>> I LOVE DOUG AND JILL ARE ON
THE TICKET BECAUSE THEY WERE THE
TWO THAT WELCOMED ME INTO THAT
ARENA SO QUICKLY.
THE FIRST DEBATE, I WALKED
IN,THERE I WAS EXPECTING LIKE A
DANCE MOMS FEELING WHERE
EVERYONE IS, YOU KNOW, QUIET,
NOT TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER
BECAUSE OUR SPOUSES ARE UP THERE
ON STAGE.
BUT THEY WERE SO KIND AND WARM
AND WELCOMING.
AS A POLITICAL SPOUSE YOU’RE
SUPPOSED TO BE, AND I TALK ABOUT
THIS IN THE BOOK, A LITTLE BIT
OF EVERYTHING AND NOTHING.
YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE OUT FRONT.
YOU HAVE TO BE WELL READ ON ALL
THE POLICIES.
YOU CAN’T MESS UP.
YOU’RE ALSO NOT SUPPOSED TO HOG
THE SPOTLIGHT.
YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THE
STAR SO YOU HAVE TO WALK THIS
TIGHT ROPE FIGURING OUT EXACTLY
WHO TO BE AND WHO TO BE FOR
EVERYONE.
A COUNTRY, A CAMPAIGN AND YOUR
SPOUSE.
THAT’S A VERY SMALL CLUB OF
PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT
THAT’S LIKE.
I LOVED CHATTING WITH JILL AND
DOUG ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
THE THING I LOVE ABOUT DOUG,
HE’S SO SWEET AND GENUINE.
YOU FEEL THAT.
HE’S UP THERE BECAUSE HE LOVES
HIS WIFE.
MANY TIMES I WAS UP ON THE STAGE
AND I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT
POLITICS.
I FELT LIKE I JUST KNEW NOTHING
BUT THE THING I KNEW IS I LOVED
MY HUSBAND AND I THOUGHT HE’D
MAKE A GREAT PRESIDENT.
THE EXACT SAME THING HE WAS
DOING.
SO, WHEN YOU HAVE A SMALL COHORT
LIKE THAT, YOU CAN BOND OVER ALL
OF THOSE AWKWARD FEELINGS YOU’RE
GOING THROUGH ON THE CAMPAIGN
TRAIL.
>> EXCEPT THE THING IS, YOU KNOW
WHO THE REAL STAR IS, AND THAT
WOULD BE BUDDY.
BUT I GUESS IT’S PETE AS WELL.
>> HE’S SITTING RIGHT HERE AT MY
FEET.
>> OH.
>> BUDDY LOVES THE SPOTLIGHT.
>> THE NEW BOOK IS "I HAVE
