'You want to play that game?' Pete Buttigieg dismantles Fox host's talking points on crime

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sparred with "Fox & Friends" host Lawrence Jones over violent crime and gun safety on Tuesday.

The transportation secretary appeared on the conservative network Tuesday morning from Chicago to defend president Joe Biden's record after Jones challenged him, saying violent crime was up nearly 10 percent across 66 major cities.

"Well, certainly the Biden-Harris record for bringing crime down compared to why crime went up under Donald Trump, and I often wonder whether viewers of this network are aware that violent crime went up under Donald Trump," Buttigieg said. "I think that deserves more coverage so we can ask ourselves why, and some of that has to do with policy. Some of that has to do with the message we send. When you have Donald Trump, an unrepentant convicted criminal running against a prosecutor like Kamala Harris, we have an opportunity to send a message about whether we're serious on law and order in this country or whether it's a talking point, or whether it's just something people try to use as a political theme for partisan gain. You want to talk about inflation? Inflation went up in every country after COVID, but we brought inflation down in this country."

"Every election is about the future, right?" he added, as Jones tried to cut in. "In the future, economists predict the Trump plan will increase costs for American families by $3,900, so why would we go back to somebody who's going to make it worse?"

Jones said he'd been covering crime and inflation for years, and he said he'd spoken with Black Americans who were upset with the Democratic Party because many cities have been plagued by crime – especially gun violence.

"You guys sent the cavalry in for you guys, for your protection, but the people of Chicago don't see that on a day-to-day basis," Jones said. "What are you guys going to do to stop the bloodshed in our communities?"

Buttigieg pointed out that he'd been mayor of South Bend, Ind., which faces similar issues with crime, and he said the most heartbreaking part of that job was trying to comfort mothers whose children had been killed by gun violence.

"The big question, I think, for politics, for policy, for media, is who is going to help them versus who is going to use them," Buttigieg said. "The questions she's asking are the exact questions that any citizen should be asking."

Jones was taken aback, asking whether Buttigieg believes he was exploiting the mother he quoted to challenge the Democratic record on crime.

"I'm saying that mother is asking the exact right question, and the question is: What are you going to actually do when you come into office?" Buttigieg said.

The two talked over one another as Jones demanded specific policies Democrats had enacted to reduce gun violence, and Buttigieg reminded the Fox News host that vast majorities of Americans, including substantial majorities of Republicans, favored gun safety legislation that GOP lawmakers oppose.

"Donald Trump says no, the Republican Party says no," Buttigieg said. "Talk about assault weapons, something that made a difference, when that assault weapons ban contributed to a reduction in crime. I remember coming to Chicago as a kid, and by the way, even though some media only want to talk about the worst and most painful things that go on in our cities, Chicago is a proud city, Chicago is an extraordinary city. But I do remember coming here when crime and murder was off the charts."

Buttigieg praised the work that went on to bring those crime rates down, saying it was still underway, and Jones pointed out that more than 20 people were shot in the city last week.

"Then why would we elect leaders who won't do anything about gun violence?" Buttigieg said, and Jones asked him to name one Republican in charge in Chicago.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa – listen to me," Buttigieg replied. "Not only did we have those levels of crime under Democratic and Republican leaders, but if you'll try to cherry pick this for partisan purposes, you want to play that game? So is the case in Boston, where there is a much lower murder rate and also a Democratic mayor. We could talk about the murder rate in Mississippi being double what it is in Illinois. Now I could go around saying that the murder rate in Mississippi being double what it is in Illinois because Mississippi has a Republican governor and Illinois has a Democratic governor, but you and I both know it just doesn't work that way."