Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks to reporters at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Sept. 1, 2023. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned that Democrats cannot return to the previous political status quo if they hope to counter President Donald Trump or rebuild public trust in government.

In an NPR interview aired July 28, Buttigieg said his party has been “slow to understand the changes in how people get their information” and urged Democrats to stop trying to restore outdated institutions without reform.