Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Hillicon Valley: FBI, DHS warn that foreign hackers will likely spread disinformation around election results | Social media platforms put muscle into National Voter Registration Day | Trump to meet with Republican state officials on tech liability shield Facebook takes down Chinese network targeting Philippines, Southeast Asia and the US MORE, a likely 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, criticized President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE’s “Make America Great Again” slogan on Friday, saying it was “not honest.”

The South Bend, Ind., mayor made the comments while speaking about the effects of automation on the workforce at the Commonwealth Club San Francisco on Friday.

“That lost sense of identity is extremely important and it’s only going to become more urgent as automation changes the way we relate to the world, in particular it changes the way we relate to the workforce,” Buttigieg said.

The false promise being peddled by this White House that the solution to our problems is just to turn back the clock -- to "Make America Great Again" -- is not honest.



You can’t have an honest politics that revolves around the word “again.” pic.twitter.com/vsRgKzOuPm — Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) March 29, 2019

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Buttigieg accused the Trump White House of peddling a “false promise” to workers whose livelihoods are being affected by automation.

“If we’re not speaking to that then I think we’re going to continue to see this kind of disaffection that has made people so ripe for the false promise being peddled by this White House that the solution is just to turn back the clock,” he said. “That we can just stop these changes that are so disruptive for you.”

“ ‘We’re gonna make America Great again?’ You know what does that mean? It means ‘we’re going to stop the changes so you don’t have to change anything,’ and it’s not honest. You can't have an honest politics that revolves around the word ‘again.’ ”

Buttigieg, a dark horse candidate in a crowded pool of Democrats vying to take on Trump, has surged in recent national polls despite not yet officially entering the race.

The 37-year-old Navy veteran would be the youngest and first openly gay president.