Buttigieg: ‘I’m ready to catch my breath’

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he is “ready to catch my breath” as he prepares to leave his post with President-elect Trump taking over next month.

Trump has tapped former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), a former Fox Business host who first came to fame on MTV's "Real World," host to replace Buttigieg.

Buttigieg was asked in an interview with USA Today what was next for him and his husband, Chasten.

“I love this job, but it is very 24/7, so I’m ready to catch my breath. I’m ready to spend more time with our kids,” he said.

Buttigieg, who was among those considered for Vice President Harris’s running mate, said he hasn’t made “any big life decisions” and doesn’t plan to until he has had more time to slow down.

Buttigieg is already drawing interest from some Democrats in Michigan eyeing the 2026 race to replace Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), who is term limited. And as Democrats look toward replacing Trump in 2028, Buttigieg, who ran for president in 2020, will likely be back in the conversation.

But in the coming months, he said he expects to once again join the “traveling public” and get “reacquainted with TSA checkpoints.”

Asked about his tenure as Biden's Transportation secretary, Buttigieg said he was “really proud” of the automatic flight refund rule because it led to “concrete results” and money for Americans. He added there would be “real consequences” if Trump were to roll it back.

Buttigieg said the biggest legacy of the past four years was tied to the infrastructure package, which funded critical projects across the country, including 1,500 airport renovations.

He also highlighted the work done to reverse the rise in deaths on the road. He said there’s still a “long way to go,” but said his department decreased the number of roadway deaths for nine consecutive quarters.