Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg may find himself in hot water legally after his public criticism of former President Donald Trump during Tuesday night’s ABC News presidential debate. With less than two months to go until Election Day, tensions are high as candidates try to sway voters, but Buttigieg’s tweets during the debate are raising concerns about a potential Hatch Act violation.
During the debate, Buttigieg tweeted, “He’s really doubling down on the crazy uncle vibe this evening,” a jab at Trump’s performance. The comment didn’t go unnoticed, particularly by Richard Grenell, the former Acting Director of National Intelligence under Trump. Grenell fired back, accusing Buttigieg of violating the Hatch Act, which limits political activity by federal employees while serving in an official capacity.
“Hatch Act violation again,” Grenell tweeted, sparking a wave of criticism and legal speculation surrounding Buttigieg’s role as a Cabinet member and his political engagement on social media.
Hatch Act violation again. https://t.co/PaQd7I7Zq0
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) September 11, 2024
The Hatch Act, enacted in 1939, is designed to prevent federal employees from engaging in partisan political activities while performing their official duties. While Buttigieg was not participating in the debate itself, the question is whether his public commentary, which has clear political undertones, crosses the line into illegal territory. Grenell also provided another example later on in the evening:
Another Hatch Act violation. https://t.co/TzHYlNVfT7
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) September 11, 2024
The tweets came during a high-stakes debate in which Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris exchanged words, with both seeking to bolster their cases to voters. Buttigieg, who was not on the debate stage, has long been a vocal critic of Trump and may now face the consequences of his latest remarks.
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Much of the 90-minute broadcast on ABC News was focused on barb-trading between the two candidates. Harris excoriated Trump’s policies and leadership qualities, and delved into white lies with the moderators’ approval, forcing Trump to respond. Besides a few answers on tax benefits to working families and small businesses, Harris largely glided past opportunities to provide detailed answers. That strategy may come back to haunt her, as just days earlier the campaign was caught lifting entire policy passages from Joe Biden’s campaign website. Former positions, including the decriminalization of all hard drugs and paying for gender transition surgeries for migrants and prisoners, have been scrubbed from her website.
Some Americans who watched the televised sparring told Reuters that they remain unconvinced that the Democrat is the better candidate. In a survey of 10 people who said they remain undecided about the November 5th election, the outlet asked respondents to watch the 90-minute debate and report back with their thoughts. In a reversal of what may be expected, six voters said they would certainly or most likely vote for Trump, compared to three for Harris and one who remained undecided. More than a few suggested Harris will need to be far more serious about paying for her costly priorities before they can consider voting for her. Five respondents described the veep as “vague” when it came to tackling the high prices of homes and home goods.
Despite insistence from pundits and mainstream media outlets that Harris decisively won the debate, warning lights were flashing on Wednesday morning as more undecided voters began telling reporters they weren’t so impressed with the vice president.
