Fact check: Is Pete Buttigieg ‘willing to send our troops to Mexico?’

Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard attacked Pete Buttigieg at the Democratic presidential debate on Wednesday over recent comments the South Bend, Indiana mayor made in California about his openness to send U.S. troops to Mexico to fight drug cartels.

“I think the most recent example of your inexperience in national security and foreign policy came from your recent careless statement about how you as president would be willing to send our troops to Mexico to fight the cartels,” Gabbard said.

Buttigieg replied, “I know that it’s par for the course in Washington to take remarks out of context, but that is outlandish, even by the standards of today’s politics.”

“Are you saying that you didn’t say that?” Gabbard replied.

Buttigieg then explained that he was talking about “U.S.-Mexico cooperation,” adding that the country has “been doing security cooperation with Mexico for years.”

Visibly frustrated, he added, “Do you seriously think anybody on this stage is proposing invading Mexico?” He then chastised Gabbard for meeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“I have in my experience ... enough judgment that I would not have sat down with a murderous dictator like that.”

“You were asked directly whether you would send our troops to Mexico to fight cartels, and you’re answer was, ‘Yes,’” Gabbard retorted. “The fact-checkers can check this out.”

There are two claims Gabbard is making. While she correctly stated Buttigieg “would be willing to send our troops to Mexico to fight the cartels,” his response to a question about drug cartels was far more nuanced than a simple, “Yes.” Buttigieg also incorrectly attributed Gabbard’s claim, given she never suggested Buttigieg supported “invading Mexico.”

During a Sunday forum on Latino issues held in Los Angeles, Buttigieg was asked, “Specifically, do you see a time when troops could go into Mexico if Mexico welcomed it, for instance?”

The context was President Donald Trump’s suggestion that it was time to “wage war” on drug cartels following the massacre of nine U.S. women and children in northern Mexico earlier this month.

Buttigieg replied: “There is a scenario where we could have security cooperation as we do with countries around the world. Now, I would only order American troops into conflict if there were no other choice, if American lives were on the line, and if this were necessary in order for us to uphold our treaty obligations.”

Buttigieg said he would “welcome ways to make sure that America is doing what we can to make sure that our neighbor to the south is secure. But doing it in a way that calls into question Mexican sovereignty completely misses how we got here.”

The bottom line: It’s true Buttigieg is willing to send troops to Mexico under certain circumstances, but Gabbard oversimplified his remarks. Buttigieg also wrongfully suggested Gabbard was claiming he would invade the country.

“That’s not what I said,” Gabbard told him at the debate.