Addressing a packed South Church audience on Friday evening, Pete Buttigieg sought to emphasize inclusiveness both in his policies and his presidential campaign. In a 19-minute speech followed by 12 questions from the crowd, he repeatedly voiced a desire to enact plans that would benefit a wide swath of Americans while unifying the country at the same time.

He began by acknowledging the American attack in Iraq that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, noting the �no one ought to shed a tear� for his death. But he then expressed concern about the Trump administration�s apparent lack of a long-term plan to resolve the Iran conflict.

�Taking out a bad guy is not necessarily a good idea,� he said. �What we know for sure is American citizens are in harm�s way tonight.�

Citing his experience serving in Afghanistan in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Buttigieg noted that the action could ensnare American troops in more fighting.

�They deserve a Commander in Chief who takes their lives seriously,� he declared.

He organized the rest of his prepared remarks into four themes: values, faith, democracy and freedom. In terms of values, he contrasted his brand of patriotism with President Donald Trump, adding that the next president needs to galvanize, not polarize.

�You can�t love a country if you hate half the people in it,� he said.

Buttigieg fielded a range of questions, from climate change to political strategy to his proposal to restructure the U.S. Supreme Court. He called climate change �the security threat of our time� and promised a national mobilization of resources as well as more vigorous efforts to persuade foreign powers to take action.

When asked for his response to reports that Trump might decline to debate his Democratic rival for the presidency, Buttigieg pounced.

�If he refuses to show up and debate his challenger, it would be a tremendous demonstration of weakness,� he said.

A questioner mentioned that during the last campaign, Trump curried favor with conservatives by releasing a list of judges from which he promised to select Supreme Court nominees. Would Buttigieg follow the same playbook?

Buttigieg rejected that approach. While asserting that his appointments to the nation�s highest court would be �more progressive,� he said he wouldn�t circulate a list ahead of the election for fear of prematurely ruling out potential candidates.

When a self-proclaimed Republican asked Buttigieg about how he�d attract Americans with differing views, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., plopped down a welcome mat. Declaring his intent to woo voters of all stripes who harbor clashing opinions, he admitted that while they might disagree over policies, they share some common positions such as favoring background checks for gun purchases.

Nick Bell, a registered independent from Portsmouth, said Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders were his two top picks. A junior at the University of Vermont, Bell described his paramount issue as �social and economic equal opportunity.�

�Buttigieg is 17 years older than me,� Bell said, musing about whether a 37-year-old possessed sufficient experience to be president.

Other voters seemed more swayed by Buttigieg. Donning a Buttigieg button, Gritt Benton said she supported him because of his communication skills and message of unity.

�He speaks beautifully,� she said. �I like his energy. I think he will heal the country, and we need healing now.�