Chasten Buttigieg and Mandy Moore stump for Pete Buttigieg during Tulane visit
Courtesy of Chasten Buttigieg
Students pose in the LBC with Chasten Buttigieg and Mandy Moore during a campaign visit to New Orleans.
November 18, 2019
Stopping on a campaign trip to New Orleans, Chasten Buttigieg, the husband of 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, visited Tulane on Sunday morning to speak with students.
The potential First Gentleman was joined by actress and singer-songwriter Mandy Moore. The pair spoke to a filled conference room in the Lavin Bernick Center for Student Life at 10 a.m. during an event hosted by Tulane 4 Pete and Tulane College Democrats.
“Great to be in New Orleans today,” Chasten wrote on Twitter. “First stop: chatting with students at Tulane. Mandy Moore and I were inspired by your stories, your support of Pete Buttigieg, and your commitment to building a more inclusive future for all.”
Great to be in New Orleans today. First stop: chatting with students at @Tulane! @TheMandyMoore and I were inspired by your stories, your support of @PeteButtigieg, and your commitment to building a more inclusive future for all. pic.twitter.com/5LbB60C7Ps
— Chasten Buttigieg (@Chas10Buttigieg) November 17, 2019
The photo went viral on Twitter, earning jeers from Internet users who pointed out the lack of diversity in the photo. Some questioned why the pair chose to visit Tulane and not a historically black college or university during their visit to New Orleans.
“The Buttigieg campaign’s choice of Tulane, the whitest university in New Orleans, speaks to its ongoing struggle to effectively reach voters of color,” Tulane College Democrats President Rebecca Sprague said. “I would urge both Pete and Chasten to return to New Orleans and speak to students at Xavier, Dillard, and Southern if they would like to truly understand issues facing students in New Orleans.”
the fact that this was the crowd chasten drew in new orleans raises the serious question of whether a Buttigieg has ever even been in a room with a Black person https://t.co/DBqXlpM5tI
— Current Affairs (@curaffairs) November 18, 2019
We know Pete struggles w/ black voters. He is not going to get it. They are not even trying
NOLA is close to 60% black. There are 3 HBCUs: Xavier, Dillard U, and SUNO. Why send Chas to private, white Tulane?
Buttigieg doesn’t give a shit about black people. They see us as sheep https://t.co/Eu1XIgwk6Z
— Alejandro Sosa’s Wife Found Chas in The 9th Ward (@SaintMystic) November 18, 2019
— maura quint (@behindyourback) November 18, 2019
“As Democrats, TUCD welcomes any and all progressive national leaders to our campus,” Sprague said. “While we welcome dialogue of all kinds, we understand that Tulane’s student body does not represent the demographic makeup of New Orleans, nor can it speak for the city.”
The pair also visited The Covenant House, a homeless shelter and center for at-risk children, and Arthur Roger Gallery.
Frederick Bell, a senior who attended the gallery event, said Chasten spoke about his experience growing up gay in a socially conservative community while answering audience questions and posing for selfies.
“Buttigieg’s husband, Chasten, is an incredibly effective surrogate — personable, passionate and profoundly palatable,” Bell said.
Before coming to New Orleans, Chasten and Moore made a stop in Orlando, where they held campaign events at University of Central Florida and The Abbey in Downtown Orlando.
Grateful to have spent an inspiring afternoon at @CovenantHouseNO learning about the lifesaving programs they’ve been providing some of the most vulnerable youth in New Orleans. Work rooted in grace, acceptance, love and forgiveness goes a long way. pic.twitter.com/pr1EPC8Ksl
— Mandy Moore (@TheMandyMoore) November 18, 2019
The presidential candidate is enjoying a surge in early-voting state polls which have solidified his frontrunner status along with former Vice President Joe Biden and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.
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