Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg mocked Americans this week who do not wish to purchase electric vehicles, comparing them to people who thought in the 2000s that there would only be landline phones.
Buttigieg made the remarks during a Tuesday Fox News interview on “America’s Newsroom” when asked about the struggling electric vehicle market.
“Tesla sales fell 8.5% the first quarter of this year,” said co-host John Roberts. “Ford this week is laying off two thirds of its workforce at the F-150 electric lightning plant. It’s also scaling back a battery production facility because of sagging sales.”
“EV sales are nowhere near what this president wanted or expected, yet the administration continues to shove them down consumers throats,” he continued. “Why?”
Buttigieg claimed that it was “clear” that consumers want to purchase EVs as he proceeded to dismiss Tesla’s slowing numbers.
“Let’s be clear that the automotive sector is moving toward EVs, and we can’t pretend otherwise,” he claimed. “Sometimes when these debates happen, I feel like it’s the early 2000s and I’m talking to some people who think that we can just have landline phones forever.”
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WATCH:
WATCH: Pete Buttigieg mocks Americans who don't want to be forced into buying electric vehicles:
"I feel like it's the early 2000s and I'm talking to some people who think that we can just have landline phones forever." pic.twitter.com/Pz28FEmfVQ
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) April 2, 2024
Republican strategist Matt Whitlock responded to the segment by noting the flaw in Buttigieg’s argument.
“This is the problem – Democrats think EV’s are to gas-powered cars what cell phones were to landlines,” Whitlock posted on X. “In reality, EV’s are to gas powered cars what Fyre Fest was to music festivals. Sounded cool, had potential, but was built on false promises and artificial market forces.”
Political commentator Noam Blum posted: “Ok but you actually had reasons why cellphones were better than landlines. What’s your argument in favor of EVs other than ‘they’re newer’?”
“Having a landline costs a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of what an electric vehicle costs on average,” said Fox News contributor Joe Concha.
“Otherwise, great analogy from the smartest guy in the administration,” Concha mocked.