Buttigieg distinguishes an enemy from an ally but still backs El-Sayed
Pete ButtigiegFormer U.S. transportation secretary, interviewed on Fox News
Buttigieg draws an enemy-versus-ally distinction when asked about El-Sayed's comparison, while maintaining his support for El-Sayed in the Senate race.
“Iran is our enemy. Israel is not. They’re an ally, so that’s pretty clear to me.”
Original video
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Abdul El-Sayed describes dangers from Israel and Iran; Pete Buttigieg draws an ally-enemy distinction
Abdul El-Sayed declined to rank Israel and Iran as threats during Michigan's Senate debate, describing different dangers from each. Pete Buttigieg answered that Iran is an enemy and Israel an ally, while saying he would still vote for El-Sayed.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
Fox News's upload of Martha MacCallum's interview with Pete Buttigieg on The Story, which aired October 14. MacCallum played a clip of El-Sayed's debate answer that left out his explanation, then asked what Buttigieg's answer would have been. Buttigieg also said he would vote for El-Sayed over Mike Rogers.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Daniel Villarreal quotes both answers and Buttigieg's explanation that he will still vote for El-Sayed. The article contains commentary as well as reporting.
Reporting
About this source
Drew Berkemeyer reports the competing answers and Buttigieg's continued electoral support. El-Sayed describes different dangers rather than explicitly calling the countries equal threats.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
On Fox News' The Story on October 14, Martha MacCallum played a shortened clip of El-Sayed's debate answer that left out his explanation about Israel and Iran. She said a lot of people who saw it thought it should have been an easy answer and asked what Buttigieg's answer would have been.
After the quotation
Buttigieg went on to say that Michigan voters were focused on costs, which he blamed on tariffs and the Iran war. Asked why the question had been hard for El-Sayed, he said he was not sure and that he agrees with no candidate all of the time, and said he would vote for El-Sayed over Mike Rogers, citing health care.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Reference point: El-Sayed's refusal to rank Israel and Iran as threats and his comparison of the dangers they pose. Challenged the characterization: Buttigieg answers the question El-Sayed would not, classing Iran as an enemy and Israel as an ally rather than as a comparable danger. Condemned is the closest competing label and loses because he does not criticize the answer or El-Sayed and says he is not sure why the question was hard for him. His vote for El-Sayed concerns the candidacy, so it does not make this a defense of the answer.
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More from this case
Read the full caseHewitt praises Buttigieg's distinction from El-Sayed
“Thus far only @PeteButtigieg has separated himself from the radicalism of Abdul El-Sayed. It was deft but definite.”Read statement
Trent defends El-Sayed against repeated questioning
“I mean, he’s put it to rest so many times. It just keeps getting asked and asked and asked.”Read statement
MacCallum says El-Sayed must distinguish allies from enemies
“You have to be able to understand who is our enemy and who is our ally. That is an easy, easy question, okay?”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Buttigieg distinguishes an enemy from an ally but still backs El-Sayed". First published: 2026-10-18. Last updated: 2026-10-18. https://disputeindex.com/events/5890-buttigieg-draws-an-enemy-versus-ally-distinction-when