Overview
- Buttigieg, speaking with Stephen Colbert on Wednesday, said America’s role is “diminished” under President Donald Trump.
- He said that, by some measures, more people now trust China to “do the right thing” than the United States.
- He argued that declining trust carries real costs by weakening national security and pushing up prices at the store.
- Colbert aired a 2001 clip of Buttigieg as a Harvard student to contrast his early views on U.S. leadership after 9/11.
- Coverage from HuffPost and Mediaite framed the remarks as political commentary, noting he cited no specific poll for the trust claim.