Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg
Peter (Pete) Paul ButtigiegWhy Democrats must nominate a moderate presidential candidate Poll: Biden holds lead over 2020 Democratic field 2020 Dems condemn bigotry, gun violence after synagogue shooting MORE said he doubts fellow hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders
Bernard (Bernie) SandersWhy Democrats must nominate a moderate presidential candidate Partygoers promote favorite candidates at The Young Turks event Poll: Biden holds lead over 2020 Democratic field MORE (I-Vt.) can beat President Trump
Donald John Trump2020 Dem Seth Moulton: Trump is not a patriot Celebs unwind at Capitol File WHCD after party Graham: 'I don't care' if Trump told McGahn to fire Mueller MORE in a general election.
“I have a hard time seeing the coalition ultimately coming together there,” the South Bend, Ind., mayor told The New York Times.
Buttigieg added that at the time “people were refreshed by the novelty of that boldness" of Sanders's ideas, but that they are now less exciting.
Buttigieg has been criticized this week for saying that in 2016 voters wanted to “blow up the system,” adding that this mentality “could lead you to somebody like Bernie and it could lead you to somebody like Trump. That’s how we got where we are.”
Sanders's campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, pushed back on Buttigieg's assertion, touting Sanders's record of fighting for the working class as the reason he will be able to win in 2020.
"At a time when Trump has lied to millions of Americans and sold out workers, voters are looking for a leader who they can trust will fight for them," he said in a statement to The Hill.
"He is committed to standing up to powerful corporate interests, taking on the billionaire class, defeating Trump and creating a government that works for all people," he added.
Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, and Buttigieg are seen as front-runners among the 20 candidates vying for the 2020 Democratic nomination.
In recent polls, the pair and former Vice President Joe Biden
Joseph (Joe) Robinette BidenCNN's Jake Tapper presses Conway on Trump's Charlottesville response: Was it 'perfect?' Why Democrats must nominate a moderate presidential candidate Seth Moulton: Biden should apologize to Anita Hill MORE, who is expected to enter the race Thursday, sit in the top three spots of Democratic presidential contenders.
Updated at 3:34 p.m.
