Pete Buttigieg said Tuesday that the Trump administration's persistent blame of the Biden administration for current problems is "an extraordinary show of weakness."
Speaking with fellow Biden administration alum Jen Psaki on MSNBC, he stated, "When you are this deep into your second year, if your reflex is to still be trying to blame the previous administration, it really shows that you are out of ideas, out of solutions, and unwilling to take ownership of your own choices, like this Iran war that has cost so much already in this country and beyond."
Psaki, the former White House press secretary, set up the former Transportation secretary and possible presidential candidate by noting Trump and his allies' "pathetic" default defense of blaming former President Joe Biden for high gas prices, Spirit Airlines' collapse, and other issues.
The discount airline cited skyrocketing fuel costs resulting from President Donald Trump's war with Iran for its shutdown. However, Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett suggested that the Biden administration's "unwise" cancellation of the merger between JetBlue and Spirit was the root cause.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has also blamed his predecessor, Buttigieg, for supporting the Biden administration's opposition to JetBlue acquiring the discount airline. The Justice Department had sued to block the deal, citing antitrust concerns.
Buttigieg said the current administration is "desperately" trying to shift responsibility elsewhere. He added, "What is happening is a direct consequence of the unnecessary, unpopular, unsuccessful policies of the Trump administration."
