{"id":2580024,"date":"2026-03-15T11:07:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T15:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/buttigieg-rails-against-trump-fundraising-email-featuring-fallen-troops\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T11:09:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T15:09:59","slug":"buttigieg-rails-against-trump-fundraising-email-featuring-fallen-troops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/buttigieg-rails-against-trump-fundraising-email-featuring-fallen-troops\/","title":{"rendered":"Buttigieg rails against Trump fundraising email featuring fallen troops"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbuttigieg-rails-against-trump-fundraising-email-featuring-fallen-troops%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2580024&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Pete Buttigieg criticized Donald Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sinemas-reelection-chances-dim-as-gallego-dominates-in-polling\/\" title=\"Sinema...s chances of being reelected fade as Gallego dominates polls.\">fundraising practices<\/a>, calling it \u201camateur hour\u201d to use a dignified transfer photo of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gov-andrew-cuomo-calls-to-remember-essential-workers-on-memorial-day-weekend\/\" title=\"Gov. Andrew Cuomo calls to remember essential workers on Memorial Day weekend\">fallen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of ... ...\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">service members<\/a><\/a> in campaign emails and arguing such tactics have no business leading American troops.Appearing on CNN\u2019s State of the Union, he also questioned the Trump administration\u2019s handling of the Iran war and the Pentagon\u2019s direction, asserting that the administration treats wounded and fallen service members as political fodder. He referenced a fundraising email paid by Never Surrender Inc. and signed by Trump, and he condemned the White House for <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >sharing war videos edited<\/a> with clip mashups from video games.Buttigieg warned that the war\u2019s costs are spilling over to ordinary Americans, noting higher mortgage rates, inflation in food and gas, and the ongoing loss of service members\u2019 lives-at least 13 in the Iran-related conflict so far. He also touched on his political future, saying he plans to stay focused on causes and candidates he believes in in 2026, while keeping an eye on 2028, and he highlighted his involvement with Democrats in North Carolina, where Shawn Harris faces a runoff against Trump-backed Clay Fuller.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Buttigieg rails against Trump fundraising email featuring fallen troops: &lsquo;Amateur hour&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2531800\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Former Transportation Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pete-buttigieg\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"410\">Pete Buttigieg<\/a> ripped President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump&rsquo;s<\/a> administration on Sunday, calling its use of photos from a dignified transfer in fundraising emails and overall handling of the war in Iran &ldquo;amateur hour.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Buttigieg appeared on CNN&rsquo;s <em>State of the Union<\/em> and raised concerns about the president and the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pentagon\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"271\">Pentagon&rsquo;s<\/a> direction in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"100\">Iran<\/a> war and how the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"339\">Trump administration<\/a> views United States&rsquo; service members who have died as a result of the war.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4492314\/us-may-strike-kharg-island-again-trump\/\">US may strike Kharg Island again &#8216;just for fun,&#8217; Trump says<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4492106\/coalition-send-warships-hormuz-us-bomb-hell-shoreline-trump\/\">Coalition to send warships to Hormuz while US bombs &#8216;the hell out of the shoreline,&#8217; Trump says<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4492078\/iran-want-deal-not-good-enough-trump\/\">&#8216;Iran wants a deal&#8217; but not good enough, Trump says<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;This is clearly amateur hour at the Pentagon and in the White House, and again, the price is being paid by all of us,&rdquo; Buttigieg said. &ldquo;We saw campaign fundraising &hellip; emails where the &hellip; president&rsquo;s political operation was raising money off of images of him in a dignified transfer. Any politician who does that has no business leading American troops in the war. If the president is willing to raise campaign funds over the bodies of America&rsquo;s war dead, he is unfit to be the commander in chief.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/columnists\/4488974\/political-parties-on-perilous-ground\/\"><strong>MICHAEL BARONE: POLITICAL PARTIES ON PERILOUS GROUND<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Buttigieg was referring to a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2026\/03\/14\/trump-fundraising-email-uses-photo-of-march-7-dignified-transfer-of-deceased-soldier\/\">fundraising email paid<\/a> for by Never Surrender Inc. and signed by Trump. The message featured a photo of the president at the dignified transfer of one of the troops killed by an Iranian strike in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kuwait\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1940\">Kuwait<\/a>. The photo was bordered by hyperlinks to donate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Buttigieg also said the Trump administration is treating the war in Iran &ldquo;like a video game.&rdquo; The White House has <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/white-house\/white-house-iran-war-social-media-videos-video-games-football-baseball-rcna263194\">shared videos of U.S. operations<\/a> in Iran edited together with clips from <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/WhiteHouse\/status\/2029953667600646655\">Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas<\/a> and Wii Sports.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A Navy Reserves veteran who was deployed to Afghanistan, Buttigieg said the loss of U.S. troops is an added hardship to Americans in addition to affordability struggles.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;More than a dozen American families have now gotten that knock on the door, and the president has basically assured us there will be more where that came from,&rdquo; Buttigieg said. &ldquo;While they&rsquo;re paying the ultimate price, every American is paying some price right now. Mortgage rates are up because of this war. Food is going to be more expensive because of this war &hellip; The price of gas that we&rsquo;re paying at the pump is more expensive because of this war.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>At least 13 U.S. service members <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4490948\/pentagon-shares-us-casualty-count-middle-east\/\">have died so far<\/a> in the war with Iran. Seven died during attacks in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and six died during a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4492325\/six-us-troops-iraq-plane-crash-identified\/\">refueling aircraft crash in Iraq<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Buttigieg has been viewed as a potential Democratic candidate for the presidential election in 2028. He has joined Democrats seeking a nomination in the midterm elections on the campaign trail, but said his joining is not related to a presidential run.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going where I think I can make myself useful to candidates and causes that I believe in. Obviously, 2028 will come, but right now, we&rsquo;re in 2026, and we&rsquo;ve got an amazing groundswell of support, but we&rsquo;ve got to keep pushing on that,&rdquo; Buttigieg said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4491377\/vance-north-carolina-pray-for-troops-iran-operation-epic-fury\/\"><strong>VANCE ASKS NORTH CAROLINA TO PRAY FOR THE TROOPS, BUT DOESN&rsquo;T DENY CAUTIONING TRUMP AGAINST IRAN WAR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Over the weekend, Buttigieg joined Shawn Harris, a Democrat candidate running for a seat left vacant after Marjorie Taylor Greene&rsquo;s exit from the congressional district.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Harris is heading for an April runoff election against Trump-backed Clay Fuller.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Buttigieg decries Trump fundraising with fallen troops<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4130,"featured_media":2580025,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP25261674304885-e1773586592380.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[4943,75839,75838,3634,51463],"class_list":["post-2580024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-buttigieg","tag-fallen-troops-2","tag-fundraising-email","tag-trump","tag-veterans-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP25261674304885-e1773586592380.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2580024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2580024"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2580024\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2580028,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2580024\/revisions\/2580028"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2580025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2580024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2580024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2580024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}