Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg quickly retaliated Fox News host Neil Cavuto Sunday after being asked if Donald Trump is a “fascist”.

Cavuto, in an interview with Buttigieg, claimed that the vice president Kamala Harris called Trump a “fascist” without mentioning that she accepted that description after John Kelly — the chief of staff of the longest-serving former president — used the label for his ex-boss.

“This is not a way to break bread and make peace,” Cavuto added.

“She said she didn’t disagree with her chief of staff who said that, someone who knows him well. And again…” Buttigieg said of Kelly, a retired U.S. Marine Corps general.

“Do you think – do you think that, Mayor, that Donald Trump is a fascist. Do you think it’s him? THE Fox News the host asked, using Buttigieg’s title from his days as mayor of South Bend, Indiana.

“I don’t think General Kelly is wrong. He knows Donald Trump much better than I do and I would not disagree with General Kelly in his assessment of his former boss,” Buttigieg responded.

Moments earlier, Cavuto had noted efforts by Buttigieg — a Harris campaign surrogate — to reach out to Republicans in areas “not typically considered a blue wall stronghold” like Midland, Texas.

He further highlighted the fact that Buttigieg call with the billionaire who supports Trump Elon Muskwho suggested on X (formerly Twitter) that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was closing airways to prevent recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene.

Cavuto claimed Harris had not made similar efforts to communicate with conservatives and asked whether the vice president would “regret” such a strategy.

“I’m not sure I can agree with the premise of that question,” responded Buttigieg, who noted that he hadn’t seen another Democratic presidential candidate. commit to including Republicans in his Cabinet and invite “prominent” GOP elected officials to campaign with her.

The Transportation Secretary then pointed out that Americans have never seen a former president’s chief of staff or vice president not support him.

“And similarly, we’ve never seen a Democrat have so many Republicans supporting her,” he said.

“But I think the most important thing is the difference in the final message between him talking about turning the guns on those who disagree with them and her saying if you’re a Republican, you’ll have a place at the table of my administration. »