Pete Buttigieg’s recent comparison of the Biden administration’s infrastructure efforts to the Hoover Dam is, quite frankly, laughable. The Transportation Secretary’s self-congratulatory video had all the hallmarks of the current administration: inflated claims, dubious “accomplishments,” and a total disconnect from reality. If this is what the Biden-Harris “Big Deal” looks like, someone needs to tell Pete that history isn’t written with hashtags and glossy PR videos.
I’m confident that a century from now, future Americans will look back on the work we’ve done—much as we look at the Hoover Dam—and see how the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Big Deal” for infrastructure made big things possible. pic.twitter.com/SQEjzm8Mi6
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) December 31, 2024
Let’s start with the obvious: the Hoover Dam is an engineering marvel that transformed the American West, brought water and power to millions, and symbolized American innovation during a time of crisis. Buttigieg wants us to believe that a few dozen federal EV charging stations (when they actually work) and some recycled COVID-era job numbers are on the same level. It’s like comparing the Mona Lisa to a kindergarten finger-painting—cute effort, but nowhere near the masterpiece you think it is.
The internet, naturally, wasn’t having it. Mollie Hemingway’s snarky reply, “Sir, are you high?” sums up what most Americans probably thought when they saw Buttigieg’s post.
sir, are you high
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) January 1, 2025
And who could blame her? This is the same administration that took weeks to even acknowledge supply chain bottlenecks and claimed victory once a handful of ships were unloaded at the ports. If Pete’s team had been in charge of the Hoover Dam, we’d still be waiting for the first concrete truck to show up—and the cost would have ballooned to $400 billion.
Is this a parody account???
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) January 1, 2025
And let’s talk about jobs. Buttigieg, parroting Biden’s favorite talking point, claimed the administration “created” millions of jobs. The truth? Many of those “new” jobs were just people going back to work after COVID lockdowns—a phenomenon that has nothing to do with the administration’s policies. Plus, with nearly every jobs report needing a downward revision, it’s hard to take these numbers seriously. Inflated stats might play well in D.C., but most Americans see right through them.
The Hoover Dam comparison was ripe for parody, and Twitter did not disappoint. John Hawkins nailed it when he quipped that if Biden and Buttigieg were in charge of the dam, it would cost billions and not even reach the blueprint stage. Steven L. Miller took aim at Buttigieg’s pet project, EV charging stations, asking if Pete could maybe focus on building just one. Seven stations—yes, seven—are the administration’s big triumph so far. That’s the infrastructure equivalent of baking one cupcake and calling yourself a chef.
The crowning jewel of the responses might be Jerry Dunleavy’s observation that Buttigieg’s “confidence” about the administration’s legacy only works because, by then, we’ll all be long gone and unable to debunk it. That’s some strategic thinking, Pete!
‘when literally all of us are dead and therefore none of you will be around to disprove my claim here, I pinky swear that these four disastrous years will ackshually be looked upon fondly’ https://t.co/H8C6ZlUJaP
— Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) January 1, 2025
Ultimately, Buttigieg’s video highlights the administration’s tendency to overpromise and underdeliver. The Biden-Harris infrastructure “legacy” so far has been more about photo ops and self-praise than actual results. A century from now, no one will be marveling at those seven charging stations or Biden’s “Big Deal.” If anything, they’ll be scratching their heads, wondering how a group of bureaucrats managed to make so much noise about so little progress.
