Former South Bend, Ind., mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegBogeymen of the far left deserve a place in any Biden administration Overnight Defense: Woodward book causes new firestorm | Book says Trump lashed out at generals, told Woodward about secret weapons system | US withdrawing thousands of troops from Iraq A socially and environmentally just way to fight climate change MORE said Sunday that he understood the voter frustration over the impeachment process but highlighted the opportunity for “accountability” in the form of the 2020 election.

“I understand the sense of exhaustion that can come from watching this whole thing play out,” Buttigieg said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “SNL’s mockery of the trial almost seemed like it was a process that had more integrity than the actual trial having no witnesses at all and it beats you down, but if the Senate is the jury right now, we are the jury tomorrow.”

The flip side of this, he said, was “this is actually the year where there’s accountability.”

NBC’s Chuck Todd Charles (Chuck) David ToddSunday shows - Trump team defends coronavirus response Strzok: 'I continue to believe that Donald Trump is compromised by the Russians' GOP chair defends Trump messaging on masks: 'To say that he should have known then what we know now isn't really fair' MORE asked Buttigieg whether he considered himself equipped to run a general election campaign against President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE.

“I think we can fight fair but we’ve got to fight tough,” Buttigieg responded. “For one thing I’m not afraid of the kind of nonsense he’s going to throw around. I’ve seen worse things incoming than a tweet full of typos.”

Buttigieg also addressed Rep. Rashida Tlaib Rashida Harbi TlaibGeorge Conway: 'Trump is like a practical joke that got out of hand' Pelosi endorses Kennedy in Massachusetts Senate primary challenge The Democratic Party platform represents our big tent MORE (D-Mich.) booing Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Virginia Democrat blasts Trump's 'appalling' remark about COVID-19 deaths in 'blue states' The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally MORE at a rally for Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll Schumer, Sanders call for Senate panel to address election security MORE (I-Vt.) in response to Clinton’s attacks on Sanders, saying “I’m not going to tell [Clinton] or anybody else where to head," adding “the focus is not on relitigating a fight from 2016 or who said what where and when about social security in the 1990s.”