Pete Buttigieg

There's a high level of ambition trying to get big things done quickly, especially in the first two years when it felt like there was that opportunity to work with both houses of Congress to make it happen, including just a ton of energy going into, well, among other things, spending time with folks like Joe Manchin, trying to make sure that we held together that coalition to do things like the infrastructure law.

There were calls I agree with.

There were calls I agree with.

There were calls I disagreed with.

There were calls I disagreed with.

There were also a lot of times when it looked like something wasn't going to happen and then somehow it happened.

There were also a lot of times when it looked like something wasn't going to happen and then somehow it happened.

And that was where I do think it helped to have a president who spent as much time as he did in the Senate because it really felt like the infrastructure bill was dead.

And that was where I do think it helped to have a president who spent as much time as he did in the Senate because it really felt like the infrastructure bill was dead.

We forget this now because it happened and it's kind of hard to imagine it was any other way, but...

We forget this now because it happened and it's kind of hard to imagine it was any other way, but...

It was proclaimed dead many, many times in that summer of 2021 before it got done.

It was proclaimed dead many, many times in that summer of 2021 before it got done.

So these moments of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat

So these moments of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat

You know, the word gatekeeper gets used a lot for White House staff.

You know, the word gatekeeper gets used a lot for White House staff.

I don't think that's unfair.

I don't think that's unfair.

I would also say, though, that I don't say that's new.