Pete Buttigieg: ‘I Actually Hate Flavored Mayo’

It’s the nickname bestowed on him by teens who think he’s “bland and overwhelmingly white”—and Pete Buttigieg’s first public comments on the “Mayo Pete” meme seem unlikely to help his case against it. In an interview with the editorial board of The New York Times, the Democratic presidential hopeful claimed he’d never heard of the term used to ridicule him, then went on to say he can’t stand any type of mayonnaise other than the unflavored original. Asked if he was familiar with his “Mayo Pete” nickname, Buttigieg replied: “I’m not. Do I want to know?” After it was explained to him by the Times panel that the name was given him by teens who think mayo is “bland,” “white,” and “gross,” he replied: “I get the white part.” After telling the powerful story of his decision to come out as gay, he was told: “This makes you less mayo.” Buttigieg responded: “Maybe. Hopefully it’s at least a better flavor. I don’t know... I actually hate flavored mayo—they do this avocado stuff now and it—because I only use mayo when I’m making tuna salad. And I want it as straightforward as possible.”