Pete Buttigieg to Host 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' This Week

Also, according to him, he wasn't forced out of the race by the establishment.

Since he made his exit from the presidential race, one might logically be wondering: What exactly is Pete Buttigieg doing these days? Outside of maybe stumping for Joe Biden, and twiddling as he waits for a cabinet position, what does the former mayor get up to? There’s only so much Netflix to stream.

Well, he’s booking hosting gigs of course.

In a new interview on The Today Show, Buttigieg has announced he will host this week’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live.

“In the immediate term, we’re going to be traveling a little bit, thanking supporters and then Chasten and I are looking forward to some time away,” Buttigieg said when asked by Craig Melvin what’s next, following the campaign. “Then I’ll come back and make myself useful in new ways but we’re going to have some fun now.”

“On Thursday I’m going to be guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live,” he continued. “We’re lining up a great slate of guests; Sir Patrick Stewart is coming on, we’re very excited about that.”

So we’ll finally see Mr. Buttigieg make some solid jokes in the opening monologue?

“Hopefully some funnier minds than mine will be doing some writing for that,” he said. Play to your strengths, that’s the ticket.

And what about those allegations that his dropping out of the race came at the request of and under pressure from the “Democratic establishment” in order to pave the way for Biden’s eventual nomination?

“I felt the pressure of voters and of making a decision,” Buttigieg told Melvin. “We ran four contests and I’m proud of the campaign we ran but by the time we ran our fourth race, it was clear that the numbers weren’t there. You know, getting into this race was never just about becoming president. For us it was about working to unify the party and the country and it was about making sure we defeat Donald Trump and there came a point where I realized that the best thing I could do in the service of those goals was to step aside and support vice president Biden.”

So it really had nothing to do with pressure from anyone?

“The kind of people who run for president of the United States are the kind of people who make their own decisions and it was my decision,” he said.

Well that’s that on that.

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