'Highways Are Racist': US Transportation Secretary Prompts Mockery After Remarks

A statement made by the US Secretary of Transportation last week during an interview with the press has sparked a lot of sarcastic comments, as he claimed that "the country's highways system is inherently racist."

During his recent interview with The Grio, a new black news website, Pete Buttigieg talked about the country's infrastructure, especially highways, saying that they are an example of "physical racism that is built into the US infrastructure."

However, his comments quickly went viral with mockery being led by prominent Republican politicians; suggesting that Buttigieg's remarks are "a planned effort to appeal to the Black community" after he lost his bid for presidential elections in 2020.

Buttigieg, who has posted a link to the interview on his Twitter account, argued that "his mission includes different infrastructure that can reconnect the different communities in America, after decades of infrastructure that has divided them on the basis of race."

According to a Forbes report, "Maps showing the racial makeup of American cities today show that white and minority neighborhoods are often divided by physical infrastructure projects such as railroads and highways."

Yet, and despite supporting tweets, many online commentators have continued to ridicule his statements, posting memes and sarcastic comments.

In February 2020, Buttigieg came under fire for live remarks he made during an election rally, in which he used the term "black money" before pausing awkwardly and saying "dark money" instead.

Pete Buttigieg is a military veteran and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. He was also the youngest and the only gay man among the 2020 candidates for the Democratic party's primary elections, before ending his campaign in March 2020.