Pete Buttigieg is proving once again that he has what it takes to be Commander-in-Chief.

In the first 30 minutes of the debate, Buttigieg showed a competency, steadiness and depth of knowledge coupled with personal experience that should help him pass the Commander-in-Chief test in the eyes of voters.

Among [Pete Buttigieg’s] strongest answer of the last year was in response to the opening questions about foreign policy. He both connected it to his story of serving in the military, but also talked about the need to address future threats instead of old ones.

Once again, he scored big as the lone outsider. He is a skilled debater who answers every question in a way that reinforces the central narrative of his campaign — that Washington is broken and he can fix it.

In fielding the Commander-in-Chief question, Buttigieg, the only military veteran on the stage, parlayed that status with his appeal for generational change as the youngest candidate.

Buttigieg once again drew on his military experience in an emotional appeal to limit troops in the Middle East. He recalled the day he departed for Afghanistan and watched a fellow lieutenant say goodbye to his family … He even garnered a short round of applause after noting his experience makes him prepared to battle President Donald Trump.