Buttigieg praises Obama after Los Angeles Times corrects misquote

South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) on Monday praised President Obama after the Los Angeles Times issued a correction to a story that misquoted the presidential candidate as having criticized the Obama administration.

A Los Angeles Times story about Buttigieg referring to the “failures of the Obama era” went viral on Sunday night and elicited fierce rebukes from many Democrats.  

{mosads}The reporter on Monday corrected the story, saying he had misheard the remarks from a recording he transcribed at a noisy rally.

Buttigieg actually criticized the “failures of the old normal.”

The reporter apologized for the error.

My story about @PeteButtigieg ends with him referring to the “failures of the Obama era.” That’s an inaccurate quote — the result of transcribing a noisy recording at a loud rally. His exact words were “failures of the old normal”

— Evan Halper (@evanhalper) November 11, 2019

I deeply regret the mistake When we make errors we own them. This one really hurts because it went viral. Here’s the candidate’s full remark: “I also fundamentally believe that there is no going back. My message is not about going back to where we were.

— Evan Halper (@evanhalper) November 11, 2019

Buttigieg accepted the apology and praised Obama’s “great leadership.” 

I appreciate this reporter’s swift and honest correction of a misquote on my views of the Obama presidency. From health care to DADT repeal to the rescue of the auto industry, my appreciation of the great leadership of Barack Obama comes from a very personal place. https://t.co/eWvSDtcpTQ

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) November 11, 2019

At the weekend rally, Buttigieg said: “My message is not about going back to where we were, getting back to normal. … I think the failures of the old normal help explain how we got to the Trump period.”

Following the Los Angeles Times report, several Democrats, including former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, a fellow 2020 presidential contender who served in the Obama administration, quickly jumped on Buttigieg for criticizing the popular former president, sending the misquote viral.

Castro has deleted his criticism from Twitter and apologized. 

I have deleted a tweet responding to a quote from @PeteButtigieg that a reporter now recognizes is inaccurate. The reporter has now issued a correction, and I regret that the original was spread widely.

— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) November 11, 2019

Buttigieg campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith thanked the reporter for moving quickly to correct the record.

One other note- for those who feel need to dunk on the reporter who erroneously reported this- just don’t. If this episode taught us anything, it’s that we need a little less dunking on twitter. https://t.co/4NDwVizzqA

— Lis Smith (@Lis_Smith) November 11, 2019