Interview by David Remnick @ NewYorker.com, April 2. Has both text and audio versions.

During an exit interview in November, 2016, just weeks after the election, David Remnick asked President Obama who the future leaders of the Democratic Party might be, and who could realistically challenge Trump in 2020. A surprising figure Obama named was Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who, at the time, was only thirty-four. In recent weeks, Buttigieg’s profile has risen dramatically, and he has collected campaign donations at a surprising clip, considering that he lacks the national profile of a senator or governor. The field of Democrats running for President is enormous, but Buttigieg stands out for a few reasons. He’s a Navy veteran, born and raised in the city he governs, so you could say that he has real heartland credibility. He’s also the first gay Presidential candidate with a real shot at the nomination. Buttigieg is a millennial who graduated high school in the year 2000 and, if elected, would be the youngest President by far. In a conversation with Remnick for The New Yorker Radio Hour, the Democratic hopeful discussed his experience as a small-city mayor, a Navy officer, and a gay man [....]