(CNN) Presidential Democratic hopeful Pete Buttigieg said he believes that if America leads on human rights and LGBT issues, "other country leaders would actually be, to some extent, forced by world opinion to make some advancements."

"I think it's one example of why American moral authority, even today, is so important, because other models are being held up right now," Buttigieg, who married his husband Chasten last year, said in an interview with Van Jones on "The Van Jones Show" airing on CNN Saturday at 7 p.m. ET when asked about how other world leaders would respond to America having a gay couple in the White House.

"When we show leadership, people respond, and that includes when we show by an election that we're an inclusive country — whether that's about an LGBT leader or in some other way — that other country leaders would actually be, to some extent, forced by world opinion to make some advancements. It's one of the things that's at stake right now if America is not trusted, is not respected, then it won't much matter what we have to say about that or any other human rights issue," the South Bend, Indiana, mayor said.

This week Buttigieg scored his highest Democratic primary national poll number to date, at 4% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning registered voters, according to a Quinnipiac University pol l.

"There's this intangible energy you can just feel when I walk into a room," Buttigieg said.

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