Pete Buttigieg: Can He Mount a Comeback? - Quick, name the sitting secretary of transportation. It shouldn't be a trick question, but most would be forgiven for failing to remember it is Pete Buttigieg, the once daring of the Democratic Party. In the world of modern politics, there are always shake-ups with an administration's cabinet.

The Trump administration saw nearly 85% turnover – outpacing his five predecessors and not just by a small margin – yet, Biden's cabinet turnover was at just 7% last month. Biden's cabinet has remained largely unchanged, and that has included Buttigieg, who all but looked like he'd be out of a job this time last year.

He came under fire from both sides for his handling of the nation's travel debacle over the 2022 holidays that left tens of thousands stranded at airports across the country. Though weather was the underlying factor, there has been fierce criticism for his handling of this and other transportation-related issues.

Pete Buttigieg: From Rising Star…

Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, had his sights on the Oval Office and became the first millennial to run for president. While his campaign fizzled out quickly in 2020, he was still appointed to head the Department of Transportation – going from running a city of 100,000 people to a department that has a budget larger than the gross domestic product (GDP) of most countries.

The stars looked to align for Buttigieg, and he had the credentials that pundits loved.

He was the valedictorian of his high school class and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard before being awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford. In 2009, he joined the U.S. Navy Reserve through the direct commission officer (DOC) program and was sworn in as an engine in naval intelligence. Elected mayor of South Bend in 2011, he took a seven-month leave in 2014 to deploy to Afghanistan. He was also the first openly gay person to hold a cabinet position.

By all accounts, he was seen as a future presidential candidate material for the Democrats. Serving as secretary of transportation also meant he headed one of the largest departments in the U.S. government.

But instead of propelling him to the Oval Office, it may have been his downfall. He could have perhaps weathered the 2022 holiday meltdown, but he then failed to respond quickly to the train derailment and environmental catastrophe in East Palestine, Ohio, last February.

Instead of unifying the Democratic Party, Buttigieg has managed to bring together politicians from the right and left wings in criticizing his handling of the crisis.

Last year, he also faced an inspector general audit for his use of government planes since taking charge of the Department of Transportation (DoT). The audit was originally requested by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) who has since called for Buttigieg's resignation over his handling of the train derailment in East Palestine, Politico reported at the time.

Buttigieg has defended his use of government aircraft. He also didn't resign but likely has sought to be rather low-key.

In fact, we've heard so little of Buttigieg since last spring that many would be forgiven for thinking he was no longer running the DoT.

It was only on Tuesday that he was back in the headlines when he warned drivers NOT to use the Apple Vision Pro while driving, in response to a video of a driver wearing such a headset.

"Reminder­ALL advanced driver assistance systems available today require the human driver to be in control and fully engaged in the driving task at all times," Buttigieg said in a post to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

As Engadget reported, "US Secretary of Transportation states the obvious: Don't use the Apple Vision Pro while driving," while Gizmodo's headline read, "Biden Admin Politely Asks That You Do Not Drive While Wearing the Apple Vision Pro."

Other outlets did have headlines that named Buttigieg directly, but it appears that already he's become just another Biden administration official. So for those asking, whether he is still a possible presidential candidate, the answer is a resounding "no!" His star has already burned out.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].