Pete Buttigieg inadvertently unites everywhere stoners after claiming ‘the J stands for joint’
Democratic presidential candidate and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg said: “J stood for ‘Joint'”. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)
Pete Buttigieg made a comment at the Tuesday’s Democratic presidential debate in Des Moines, Iowa, and inadvertently united stoners everywhere.
The South Bend Indiana mayor and gay presidential hopeful was asked by CNN White House correspondent Abby Philip how he would face the threat of nuclear weapons if elected.
Discussing how he would prevent nuclear war with Iran, he said: “The Iran nuclear deal, the technical term for it was the JCPOA. That first letter ‘J’ stood for ‘Joint’. We can’t do this alone, even less so now after everything that has happened.”
"That first letter 'J' stood for joint." @PeteButtigieg says America needs to work with partners to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. pic.twitter.com/iOzh5yJZkW
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 15, 2020
But one part of the sentence — “that first letter ‘J’ stood for ‘Joint'” — caught the attention of stoners online.
One person has given the 2020 candidate a new name, “Pete ‘p-bizzle’ Buttigieg”, and another decoded a different meaning behind the comment: “The letter ‘J’ stands for joint… you know what I mean kids… if Iran is going to nuke us… might as well smoke ’em if you got ’em.”
Another described the comment as “the most relatable thing Pete Buttigieg has ever said”.
"the J stands for Joint"
– pete "p-bizzle" buttigieg, 2020— pop punk apologist (@spookydaithi) January 15, 2020
Pete: the letter “j” stands for joint… you know what I mean kids… if Iran is going to nuke us.. might as well smoke em if you got em— Rep. Mike? (@MaineSocialist) January 15, 2020
“The J stands for joint” is the most relatable thing @PeteButtigieg has ever said #DemDebate— Ashley Kreis ? (@ashleyskreis) January 15, 2020
“P-Bizzle” has been an outspoken supporter of the legalisation of marijuana, and according to his campaign website he also supports eliminating incarceration for drug possession completely.
Last year he even admitted to smoking it himself a “handful of times a long time ago”.
The first letter, “J”, stands for joint, which is what we need to be smoking to get through this debate.
— e (@Evansbee) January 15, 2020
During the same debate, fellow Democratic presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren was praised for being the only participant to mention violence against trans women of colour.
She was also alone in bringing up mental illness, “how the disability community is struggling for true equality”, black infant mortality, gun violence and “climate change that particularly hits black and brown communities”.
Warren finished her closing remarks by saying: “Hope and courage. That is how I will make you proud every day, as your nominee and as the first woman president of the United States of America.”
