Has democracy unraveled in America? And if so, what can leaders on both sides of the aisle do to save it? Former Secretary of Transportation and 2020 Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg joins Trevor and Eugene in this wide-ranging discussion. If you haven't already.... Subscribe to the channel here: http://bit.ly/SubscribeTrevorNoah Or follow the podcast on your other favorite platforms... SiriusXM - Apple Podcasts - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnApplePodcasts Spotify - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnSpotify 00:00 – Who is Pete Buttigieg, really? 00:14 – Mayor, veteran, scholar… beard guy? 01:10 – The beard origin story (and Chasten’s role) 02:13 – Eugene’s beard journey: from baby face to philosopher 04:03 – Trevor’s beard trauma: the laser years 05:13 – Mayor Pete, Secretary Pete, or just Pete? 06:11 – The retired superhero phase 07:17 – Can you ever really step away from public service? 08:47 – Watching your own work get undone 10:02 – Going on Fox News to “say this” 11:56 – When your successor puts a Trump sign on your projects 12:56 – Why America’s politics always flips every four years 15:16 – Are Democrats stuck in “normal times” while the rules change? 17:12 – Winning the era vs. winning the election 18:50 – America’s institutions aren’t broken — they’re outdated 19:53 – Who really pays for political failure 22:48 – Do politicians actually want young people to vote? 24:31 – What if both parties only agree on 30% of the truth? 25:40 – AI: the one issue not yet poisoned by politics 27:07 – How vaccines became partisan overnight 29:35 – When corporations choose a side before voters do 31:10 – How culture decides politics before Congress does 33:22 – How voters can feel less helpless 36:32 – Why local action still changes lives 38:40 – The power of uncomfortable conversations 40:40 – The beard, the Overton Window, and political fashion 42:09 – How nationalizing politics kills local problem-solving 43:30 – Reality, imagination, and fixing potholes 46:24 – Why social feeds make us arrogant 47:40 – Bowling Alone and the death of community 49:20 – Why isolation feels like polarization 50:20 – Democracy or the strongman: the choice ahead 51:47 – What makes America… America 54:25 – The appeal of breaking everything 57:20 – Do Democrats still do things? 59:04 – Bureaucracy vs. boldness: why things don’t get built 1:04:05 – First-world budget, third-world problems 1:04:44 – Inequality: the root of almost everything 1:06:19 – Will AI fix inequality or make it permanent? 1:07:40 – The laws that sound crazy until they aren’t 1:10:33 – Why the left needs a strategy room 1:12:37 – Government grocery stores and the limits of policy 1:17:05 – Should governments act like companies? 1:22:18 – How monopoly power breaks democracy 1:23:35 – How corruption kills progress 1:24:35 – Can America rebuild global trust? 1:27:00 – “America First” vs. “America Alone” 1:29:11 – The price of inconsistent values 1:33:15 – Leading with values, not just power 1:35:29 – Rebuilding trust at home and abroad 1:40:33 – The danger of defending oppression 1:44:20 – What the next generation of leadership must do 1:46:45 – From rhetoric to reality: fascism in our time 1:48:50 – A new world demands new frameworks 1:49:35 – Outro: Pass it on (even if you didn’t like it)