Presidential Hopeful Pete Buttigieg On Whether America Is Ready For A Gay President

South Bend Mayor and presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg

Appearing on The View today, presidential hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, was asked the question everyone wants to know: Is America ready for its first gay president?

Buttigieg's answer was perfect.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," replied the 37-year-old mayor with a smile.

He continued:

"When I came out it was 2015, I was in the middle of a reelection campaign. I was ready - you know you're ready when you're ready? - and I wanted to have a personal life.

"It was not obvious that was going to be a safe thing to do - it was in Indiana, Mike Pence was the governor at the time - and I wound up getting reelected with 80% of the vote.

"So I think people will evaluate you for the job you're doing."

Is America ready for its first gay president?

"There's only one way to find out," Democratic presidential candidate @PeteButtigieg says. https://t.co/f8u2wbJuik pic.twitter.com/CbmobVwPGO

— The View (@TheView) January 31, 2019

Buttigieg also says coming from a different generation isn't a bad thing, and that he promised his father (who passed away this Sunday) he would make him proud.

"It's not a bad thing to come from a different generation," Mayor Pete Buttigieg tells @TheView.

"We're the generation that grew up with school shootings as the norm...We're the ones that are going to be living through the impacts of climate change." https://t.co/nItAw78TVC pic.twitter.com/j97Cu8g6kG

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 31, 2019

.@PeteButtigieg shares one of the final moments he had with his father, who passed away Sunday, saying he was proud of his presidential run.

"I told him I hoped I'd make him proud," he says. "He mouthed the words, 'you will.'" https://t.co/f8u2wc159S pic.twitter.com/ZiMm8yiTVx

— The View (@TheView) January 31, 2019