Pete Buttigieg Drops Out, Twitter Sends Him Off With Tributes And Memes

Former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg announced yesterday that he was suspending his campaign for president in the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary. The announcement came at a surprising moment, with "Super Tuesday," the day of the Democratic Primary with the most amount of delegates up for grabs, happening tomorrow. However, after poor showings in Nevada and South Carolina, two states with large blocs of POC voters, Buttigieg's campaign evidently saw no path to the nomination.

The timing also raised suspicions that Buttigieg may be coordinating with other candidates to blunt Bernie Sanders momentum, as the Vermont independent has large leads in states like Texas and California and appears on track to enter the Democratic National Convention with at least a plurality of delegates (Donald Trump apparently subscribes to this theory). Some have guessed that perhaps Buttigieg has cut a deal with Joe Biden, the leading moderate remaining in the field, to be his running mate down the line.

While the ramifications of Buttigieg's sudden departure are yet to be fully understood, Twitter users sent him off with a characteristic cocktail of tributes and memes, with many praising the fact Buttigieg was such a high-profile LGBTQ candidate.

Others less enamored with Buttigieg offered tributes with a little more schadenfreude.

It seems unlikely we've seen the last of Pete Buttigieg, but as for how his departure will shake up the race, we'll have to wait til tomorrow to see.