COLUMBUS, Ohio — Kamala Harris is using potential veep candidate Pete Buttigieg to woo “white dude’’ voters — “who need to be honest with ourselves and each other about the role we’ve played in our nation’s history.’’
Buttigieg, transportation secretary and one of Harris’s top supporters, will appear virtually at a Zoom event at 8 p.m. Monday with the group “White Dudes for Harris.”
“As White Dudes, we know full well how MAGA cynically preys on resentments,” reads an email to a Post reporter from the group’s organizer, Ross Morales. “This moment of crisis is challenging us, but we won’t let fear define who we are and take us – or our country – down a dark path.
“We’re coming together to create a space of trust where White Dudes can support each other and work to elect Kamala Harris the next President of the United States.”
The group sells hats and preaches “brotherhood” as it looks to create a “space of honesty” for “white dudes.”
Its key values were explained in Morales’ message.
“As White men, we recognize all too clearly the culture of toxic entitlement surrounding Donald Trump,” he wrote. “We need to be honest with ourselves and each other about the role we’ve played in our nation’s history – good and bad. We’re creating a space of honesty and trust, where we can support each other and work for a new, brighter future.”
The letter also included a link to a “social media kit” with pre-written posts that “white dudes” can use to try to get others to join the group.
“The best friendships I’ve found with other men are built on mutual respect, trust, and supportive understanding,” one post says. “Would you trust Donald Trump to respect you, to honor your trust, and support you in brotherhood?”
Buttigieg and Harris were once presidential primary rivals but lost out to President Biden.
Biden, 81, then famously dropped out of the race last week, paving the way for Vice President Harris, 59, to take his place as the party’s presumptive presidential nominee and leading Dems such as Buttigieg to fall into supporting roles.
Buttigieg’s support has apparently already helped.
Morales initially called for 10,000 registrations for Monday’s virtual event, but after Buttigieg announced he was in, interest in it apparently exploded.
“Yesterday afternoon, we emailed 8,000 of you so we could ask you to reach out to your friends and see if we could get this little group up to 20,000 before Monday’s call. And you guys absolutely crushed it! We are excited to announce that as of about 10 minutes ago, we are 20,000 strong,” Morales wrote. “Something unprecedented is happening here, and we are a part of it together.“
The group does not say explicitly whether non-whites will be allowed to attend, and a Post request for comment was not immediately returned.
Race and nationality are becoming cornerstone issues this election as wars continue abroad, debacles such as US immigration rage and the rhetoric at home turns toxic.
