Work in Progress with Sophia Bush — Pete Buttigieg (February 25, 2026) Episode Summary

Episode Overview

In this candid and wide-ranging conversation, Sophia Bush sits down with Pete Buttigieg—former mayor, Navy reservist, history-making cabinet secretary, and devoted husband and father. The discussion explores Buttigieg’s formative years and intellectual curiosity, his journey in public service and coming out, reflections on family and fatherhood, and grappling with the messy and hopeful reality of American democracy in 2026. The episode is rich in personal anecdotes, humor, and reflections on legacy, belonging, and progressive leadership in turbulent times.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Childhood Influences & Early Identity

[07:51–09:22]

• Sophia asks Pete to imagine his 10-year-old self seeing him today; Pete shares he was “pretty nerdy” as a child, absorbed in Star Trek, Legos, and fascinated by the Titanic—fandom culminating in a memorable adult meeting with his childhood hero Robert Ballard.
• Pete reflects on having believed as a child that you chose between “bookish/intelligent people” and “popular/social people,” and how adulthood taught him these could be linked.
• Notable moment: Pete describes building a LEGO penguin with his son Gus before leaving for the airport—showing the blend of then-and-now (12:32–12:33).

“One of the wonderful things about our kids turning four is they’re reaching the LEGO phase. Which is throwing me right back to when my fondest hope was to get a chance to build a LEGO set any given day when I was a kid. In fact, sometimes I have to remember that it’s their Legos, not papa’s Legos.” (11:25–12:30, Pete Buttigieg)

Curiosity, Upbringing, and Early Lessons in Activism

[16:04–22:04]

• Sophia and Pete compare their unique upbringings—Sophia around artists and LGBTQ+ family in LA, Pete among Notre Dame professors in Indiana.
• Pete recalls learning about global activism, especially anti-apartheid efforts, from university dinner-table conversations and his parents’ moral leadership.

“Many of the people my parents became friends with in the 80s were involved in...standing up against apartheid in South Africa…one of my dad’s fellow professors…could have had probably a professional cricket career, but refused to play on a team for a country that was in an apartheid system.” (18:57–19:54, Pete Buttigieg)

• Sophia notes early exposure to pride marches and diversity helped form her activism and empathy.

Becoming Mayor & Returning Home

[24:09–28:04]

• Pete describes growing up in South Bend, Indiana, a city battered by industrial decline.
• The decision to return after college was “militant” —a commitment to his roots in the face of outside skepticism (“someone asked if my parents were ill, if that was the reason I was going back”).
• Running for mayor as a 29-year-old, Pete built an intergenerational coalition, proving youth itself was a message: “Just even the act of running was kind of me saying, look, I believe in the city and I think all of us should.”

Coming Out as Mayor

[35:54–39:12]

• Pete reveals coming out publicly in 2015 was shaped by his Afghanistan deployment and the realization he wanted to experience love openly, regardless of political consequences.

“It was less of a confidence that things would work out politically and more of a confidence that it was going to be worth it whether things worked out politically or not.” (35:54–36:06, Pete Buttigieg)

• Sophia acknowledges the courage it took, underscoring the ripple effects for others in the LGBTQ+ community.

“It takes a hell of a lot of courage to be who you are, to choose your personhood and your life when it also can risk a big job that people think might be the core of your life.” (37:42–38:57, Sophia Bush)

• Pete shares the outpouring of responses—positive messages, including from fellow service members who’d also struggled with their identity.

The Meaning of Work and the Threat/Promise of AI

[39:19–42:33]

• Pete addresses deriving meaning from work, warning against making it the sole source of identity—a crucial lesson as AI disruptions approach.

“In order to be fit for these kinds of jobs, you have to know what’s worth more to you than keeping your job...especially in politics and public service.” (41:10–41:29, Pete Buttigieg)

• Pete offers that “belonging” must also come from “family, community, service, faith, or nationality…could be a healthy ballast for us right now.”

Balancing Public Service and Fatherhood

[44:12–47:07]

• Sophia, herself a step-parent, and Pete bond over the tension of being called to activism while wanting to be present for their children.
• Pete says his motivations changed after having children, feeling responsibility to fight for a future with more rights, freedoms, and a livable planet for his kids.

“They don’t get a vote, they don’t get a voice...yet lots of decisions that are being made right now in the middle of this decade are going to decide by the time they are old enough to ask whether we did right by them.” (44:47–45:19, Pete Buttigieg)

Family Life: The Real Chaos and Joy

[52:38–54:29]

• Pete describes unglamorous but joyful family routines—pizza and movie nights, sledding, crafts, reading together.
• Honest about the chaos of raising twins, and the challenge of letting his kids struggle (and succeed) with puzzles on their own.

“So much of it is keeping them from getting frustrated and giving up and, you know, walking them through that process. And then it’s so hard not to just pick up the puzzle piece and just do it for them.” (54:07–54:29, Pete Buttigieg)

• Both laugh about “surviving” their first family trip to Disneyland and discovering they’re secretly “Disney adults.” (55:14–56:37)

Looking Forward: What is Pete’s “Work in Progress”?

[57:41–58:09]

• Sophia closes by asking what Pete’s “work in progress” is at this moment.

“I guess my work in progress is helping put together the coalition that is going to change the trajectory of our country so that it’s really living up to its ideals by the time my kids are old enough to take over the work, whatever they decide the work means to them. So it’s all kind of wrapped up in one. But it feels like the work of a lifetime.” (57:41–58:09, Pete Buttigieg)

• The two reflect on civic engagement as a form of “secure attachment” to the American experiment.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On legacy:
  “Whether we succeed or fail in this moment really shapes the world [our kids] are going to live in...And so I know that part of my responsibility to them is to try to be present and be a good father...But another part...is to be out in the world using the tools that I have to try to make it better for them...” (44:29–45:19, Pete Buttigieg)

• On coming out:
  “It hadn’t been that many years since it would have been the end of my military career as well as my potentially my political career. ...But by 2015, I knew it was at least worth taking a chance on the community, that they would judge me by the job I had done instead of anything else.” (36:28–36:59, Pete Buttigieg)

• On facing the future and building coalitions:
  “Helping put together the coalition that is going to change the trajectory of our country so that it’s really living up to its ideals by the time my kids are old enough to take over the work, whatever they decide the work means to them…” (57:41–58:09, Pete Buttigieg)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Guest Overview: 03:22–05:30
• Early Life and Childhood Passions: 07:51–12:36
• Family, Upbringing, and Learning Activism: 16:04–22:04
• Running for Mayor and Community Roots: 24:09–28:04
• Coming Out and Personal Vulnerability in Public Life: 35:54–39:12
• The Meaning of Work, Identity, and AI: 39:19–42:33
• Balancing Public Service and Parenthood: 44:12–47:07
• Family Life and Parenting Realities: 52:38–54:29
• On Disneyland and Family Joy: 55:14–56:37
• Work in Progress Question & Final Reflections: 57:41–59:36

Tone & Takeaways

The tone of the conversation is warm, humorous, and genuine—Sophia’s admiration for Pete is matched by his humility and willingness to reflect deeply on personal and political challenges. Both deftly weave stories about growing up and parenting into the realities of modern civic life and urgent political stakes. Listeners will leave with a sense of hope, the power of living authentically, and the importance of building coalitions to create a more just and inclusive future.

For anyone who hasn’t listened:
This episode is a tapestry of activism, personal growth, and loving, if chaotic, family life—all rooted in a shared belief that being a “work in progress” is a strength. If you’re seeking insight into what shapes leaders, what sustains hope, and what it means to fight for a better future, this is a must-listen.