CBS host of The Late Late Show James Corden welcomed Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg onto his Wednesday-taped show to express relief at “the wonderful news” of President Biden’s student loan order and to tell Buttigieg that he would “really, really love it” if Buttigieg were to be president.
Corden explained that “many people are very, very excited about the wonderful news about getting some student loan debt relief which is I think a monumental moment and a great thing that President Biden did.”
What Corden could not explain, however, is why anyone would be opposed to such a scheme, “There are Republicans out there and I'm kind of amused by this, Republicans who are trying to stop this by filing lawsuits. Why would anybody do that? Do they have a chance at succeeding in such a thing and why is this serious?”
One could cite legal arguments, moral arguments about fairness, or practical concerns that the order will make the cost of attendance worse for current borrowers, but naturally Buttigieg agreed with Corden, “this student loan relief brought a lot of people some breathing room. Just made it a little bit easier to get through life. And I don't know why anybody would want to go in and make it harder.”
After Buttigieg rattled off some other grievances he has with Republicans, mainly that they oppose Democratic policies, Corden could hardly control himself because he considered himself to be in the presence of the great Pete Buttigieg, “Can I tell you something just from me personally who’s British, I would really, really love it if you were the president of the United States one day, I think it would absolutely I really would. I’ve always thought it and it’d be great.”
At least Corden will be leaving in 2023 so we will not be subjected to his “jokes” during a hypothetical Buttigieg presidency.
This segment was sponsored by Tums.
Here is a transcript for the September 8 show:
CBS The Late Late Show with James Corden
9/8/2022
1:03 AM ET
JAMES CORDEN: Now, I want to talk to you about this, Secretary, many people are very, very excited about the wonderful news about getting some student loan debt relief which is I think a monumental moment and a great thing that President Biden did. There are Republicans out there and I'm kind of amused by this, Republicans who are trying to stop this by filing lawsuits.
Why would anybody do that? Do they have a chance at succeeding in such a thing and why is this serious?
PETE BUTTIGIEG: Yeah, I mean, look—look--, we're living in a moment especially with what we have been through with inflation, with the high prices where people are up against a lot. And this student loan relief brought a lot of people some breathing room. Just made it a little bit easier to get through life. And I don't know why anybody would want to go in and make it harder.
But then again they've taken a lot of votes in Congress that I don't understand. I don't understand why all the Republicans in Congress voted no on $35 a month insulin, that would’ve been really useful and we at least were able to get through for people on Medicare that insulin is now capped at $35 a month or, you know, we were able to make it cheaper to get an electric vehicle if you want to save money on gas but all the Republican members of Congress voted no on that. Even though they are also beating us up by saying that EVs are too expensive, then there was a chance to make it cheaper and we did, and succeeded but they stood in the way of that. I honestly don't understand the mentality of going on TV, talking about prices going up being the problem, which by the way it is, it’s why it’s the president's top economic policy priority. And then—and then-- fighting us when we are trying to make it cheaper.
CORDEN: Can I tell you something just from me personally who’s British, I would really, really love it if you were the president of the United States one day, I think it would absolutely--
BUTTIGIEG: Very kind.
CORDEN: I really would. I’ve always thought it and it’d be great.
