“Well, I arrived knowing we were there because we’d been attacked. It was very different from the Iraq conflict in that sense. But, also, while I was there, it was increasingly difficult to understand what our goal was. And the thing that has made me feel a greater and greater sense of urgency about moving on is the fact that I thought I was one of the last troops leaving. Like, turning out the lights and wrapping things up. Years ago, when I left. And we’re still there.”
More from Pete Buttigieg
“There is obviously a powerful tradition of reform and a progressive voice that is also…”
“I think keeping your word matters. I’m not the kind of guy who is going to make a…”
“Of all the things we’ve been up against as a country, only one of them actually came…”
“Another way to think of it is this: Americans usually want something along the lines of…”