The State of U.S. Democracy
Open to everyone
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joins award-winning journalist Kara Swisher for a discussion on the state of U.S. democracy, politics, and more, at this live taping of the “On with Kara Swisher” podcast.
Since leaving office, Buttigieg has been using his voice to criticize many of the actions undertaken by President Donald Trump and his administration, while reaching out and engaging with people who might disagree with him. Swisher will delve into topics like threats to U.S. democracy, the state of political discourse, and prospects for the 2026 and 2028 elections.
Swisher is a Ford School Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence for Autumn 2025. Read about the appointment here.”
Speaker bios:
Kara Swisher is an editor-at-large of New York Media, host of the On With Kara Swisher podcast and co-host of its Pivot podcast. She is also a contributing writer for New York Magazine and a regular CNN contributor. Her latest book, “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story,” is a memoir of her years covering Silicon Valley and was published in February of 2024. The updated paperback version was released in March of 2025.
Pete Buttigieg served as the 19th Secretary of Transportation from 2021-2025. The first openly gay person confirmed to serve in a president’s Cabinet, Buttigieg previously served two terms as mayor of his hometown, South Bend, Indiana, where he worked across the aisle to transform the city’s future. He also served for seven years as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, taking a leave of absence from the mayor’s office for a deployment to Afghanistan in 2014.