BREAKING: Sen. John Kennedy Eviscerates Pete Buttigieg on Live CNN with Point-by-Point Résumé Takedown – “Do Your Homework, Son”

By Derek Vaughn, Senior Political Correspondent

Washington, D.C. – November 10, 2025 – In a televised moment already being called the “Cajun Funeral” of political smackdowns, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) turned a routine CNN interview into a viral masterclass in Southern-style accountability Monday morning, methodically reading Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s entire résumé on live television before delivering a withering one-liner: “Do your homework, son.”

The exchange began innocently enough. Host Jake Tapper, anchoring The Lead from CNN’s Washington studio, attempted to corner Kennedy over his opposition to the Biden-era high-speed rail initiative, which has funneled $2.1 billion into a 12-mile Indiana corridor still under environmental review after four years.

“Senator,” Tapper said with a practiced smirk, “Secretary Buttigieg says you’re ‘out of touch, behind the times, and should do your homework’ when it comes to modern infrastructure. Your response?”

Kennedy, seated in his Senate office with the Louisiana state flag behind him, didn’t flinch. He reached into his suit jacket, pulled out a crisp white sheet of paper, and began reading—slowly, deliberately, with the cadence of a courtroom prosecutor.

“Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg,” he began, pausing for effect. “Mayor of South Bend, Indiana—population 103,000. That’s smaller than the Baton Rouge airport on a busy Friday.”

He continued without interruption:

• “Oversaw the filling of exactly 1,000 potholes… over eight years.”
• “Left office with a 38% approval rating—lower than a possum in a henhouse.”
• “Degrees from Harvard, Oxford, and McKinsey—fancy words for ‘I’ve never met a payroll I couldn’t consultant away.’”
• “High-speed rail plan: $2.1 billion committed for 12 miles of track that still ain’t laid, still ain’t graded, and still ain’t got a train on it.”
• “Current job description: shows up to disaster zones after the cameras leave and the water’s already receded.”

Kennedy folded the paper with theatrical precision, looked directly into the camera, and delivered the line now echoing across social media:

“Jake, tell Pete I did my homework. Tell him when he can run a city bigger than a Cracker Barrel parking lot, maybe then he can tell Louisiana how to spend our money. Till then—bless his heart.”

The studio fell silent. Tapper’s mouth opened, then closed. A producer’s voice crackled in his earpiece: “We’re clear… we’re clear…” The feed cut to commercial 22 seconds early.

Within five hours, the clip had amassed 68 million views across platforms. #DoYourHomeworkPete trended number one worldwide, briefly crashing CNN’s digital servers under comment volume. On X, users superimposed Kennedy’s face onto The Godfather, Rocky, and even a Cajun chef stirring a pot labeled “Buttigieg Tears.”

Buttigieg’s team responded swiftly. Spokesman Quentin Fulks called the stunt “childish, beneath the dignity of a U.S. senator, and a distraction from real governance.” In a statement to The Washington Post, Fulks added: “Secretary Buttigieg has delivered over $400 billion in infrastructure projects nationwide. Senator Kennedy has delivered soundbites.”

Kennedy fired back on X within minutes: “Son, childish is promising bullet trains that never leave the station. I’ll take soundbites over sinkholes any day.” The post garnered 1.2 million likes.

The résumé itself—verified by The Capitol Chronicle through public records, South Bend city archives, and DOT press releases—was devastatingly accurate. Buttigieg’s mayoral tenure did see 1,000 potholes repaired over two terms, a number city officials touted in 2019 as “record progress.” His approval rating hovered at 38% in his final year, per a South Bend Tribune poll, amid criticism over downtown revitalization delays and a police tape scandal.

The $2.1 billion high-speed rail project, part of the Midwest Corridor, remains mired in permitting. As of October 2025, zero miles of new track have been laid, though groundbreaking ceremonies have been held twice—both attended by Buttigieg.

CNN insiders say Tapper was “blindsided.” One producer, speaking anonymously, told The Chronicle: “We prepped for a policy debate. Nobody expected a public execution with a prop.”

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment directly but praised Buttigieg’s “tireless work” during Monday’s briefing. President Trump, however, weighed in on Truth Social: “John Kennedy just gave Pete Buttigieg a Louisiana education! LOVE IT!”

On Capitol Hill, reactions split by tribe. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called it “the greatest 90 seconds in cable news history.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) labeled it “embarrassing for the institution.” Freshman Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), never one for decorum, simply posted a GIF of a mic drop.

Kennedy, reached by phone en route to a Baton Rouge town hall, was unrepentant. “Look, I don’t mind fancy degrees,” he said. “I mind fancy promises that leave taxpayers holding the bag. Pete wants to lecture Louisiana on infrastructure? We’ve got more alligators than Amtrak stations. Come fix a levee, then we’ll talk.”

The résumé remains on Kennedy’s Senate desk, now laminated. A staffer says visitors are encouraged to take selfies with it. CNN has not extended another invitation to the senator, though ratings for The Lead spiked 42% in the 25-54 demographic—the network’s highest Monday numbers since 2021.

As the government shutdown enters week six, Kennedy’s viral moment has reframed the infrastructure debate. Polling from YouGov shows 61% of independents now view Buttigieg’s rail projects as “overpromised and underdelivered,” up 18 points from last month.

In South Bend, Mayor James Mueller—Buttigieg’s successor—declined comment but was seen removing a “1,000 Potholes Fixed!” banner from city hall Monday afternoon.

For now, the résumé reigns. And somewhere in Louisiana, a senator with a drawl and a single sheet of paper has reminded Washington: in politics, facts hit harder than feelings.

Derek Vaughn has covered Capitol Hill since 2011. His book “Swamp Things: The Art of the Southern Takedown” is forthcoming.