it was very interesting, I think, for me.

We were all trying to figure out how to pronounce your name.

-Yeah.

-And now here you are -- You're a major contender

for getting the Democratic nomination.

You just got a big day today. The polls came out,

and you're number three in the polls in Iowa.

[ Cheers and applause ]

What do you attribute your surge in popularity to?

-Well, hard work, a really good team, and the right message.

I think our message

is what Americans are really looking for.

It's not just how to end the Trump presidency,

which is obviously a huge priority,

because our country's future depends on it.

[ Cheers and applause ]

But it's also about

what's America going to need the day after this presidency ends?

This presidency will come to an end one way or the other.

And when we get there, when the sun comes up over this country,

and we're picking up the pieces and figuring out what's next,

I think it's going to require that we're ready to undertake

bold solutions, but also that we can bring people together.

And that's been the core of our campaign.

And I think it's resonated.

[ Cheers and applause ]

-I think, the last debate,

I think you scored major points for a lot of people during that

because, one, with Elizabeth Warren, you challenged her

and actually debated, as you would in a debate, with her

about her Medicare for All. -Yeah.

-And you were saying, "How do you pay for all this?"

And she didn't really have an answer.

-It's a respectful, honest, but major difference of opinion.

First of all, when you're proposing something like this,

it's got to be clear how it's paid for.

And the plan that I'm putting forward,

we call it "Medicare for all who want it,"

can be paid for without raising middle-class taxes.

And it's got a lot of other advantages, too,

because it lets people keep their private plans.

So the basic idea is we take a version of Medicare.

We make it available for anybody who wants it,

but if for some reason you prefer a different plan,

that's okay. I'm not going to make you switch.

And I just think that's better than saying,

"You've got to do Medicare whether you want to or not,"

and make that entire change for the entire country

in four years or less.

So it's just an honest difference of opinion.

-And I saw a lot of people were saying, like,

"Oh, well, wait a second, Mayor Pete.

You said that -- You tweeted out

that you were for Medicare for All..."

-Yeah. -"...a couple years ago."

So what do you say to that?

-Yeah, for the long run, that's still my preference.

I just think we got to have some humility about this.

In other words, to get from here to there,

it makes more sense to make it optional.

And then if we're right, that that's going to be the best plan

for all Americans, then all Americans will choose it,

and it'll become the only plan. And if we're wrong,

and some Americans would rather be on something different,

well, then we're going to be really glad

we didn't kick them off the plans they had

and force them onto ours. So it's a similar vision

about where I think the destination's going to be,

but an approach that is more practical

and I think more flexible for Americans

who I trust to make the right decision

on what's right for them.

-I think another thing that where you scored --

[ Cheers and applause ]

Another area where you scored in the debate

is when -- with Beto O'Rourke,

and you kind of, you guys kind of sparred a little bit

about gun reform.

And would you like to talk about your stance on that and --

-Well, first of all, I think we all want to get real gun reform.

There's been way too much talk for way too long.

[ Cheers and applause ]

And I think the focus right now

is we've got to have universal background checks.

By the way, Republicans agree on this --

not so much Republican members of Congress,

but the Republicans across America,

and Washington still hasn't been able to get it done.

We got to go further than that.

We got to have red flag laws that disarm domestic abusers.

And we've got to ban the sale of these assault weapons

and the high-capacity magazines to load them.

That will save lives in America.

And we've got to do it right away.

-And that's a -- It's a big issue for you.

If you do become President, you'll -- you'll --

that'll be one of your focuses?

-Yeah, I mean, we can't go on like this.

You know, I was in high school

when the Columbine shooting happened.

And since then, we've generated

a second school-shooting generation.

Shame on us if we allow there to be a third.

[ Applause ]

-And you know these guns

because you've seen these assault rifles.

You were in Afghanistan.

-Yeah.

-What is your take on everything with Syria and Turkey and --

-I got to tell you, it's just a bad day for America

when our country can't be relied on to keep its word.

You know, I really felt when I was deployed

that, in addition to my body armor

and the weapons I was carrying,

that one of the things that protected me

was that the flag on my shoulder

represented a country that was seen as credible,

that our allies and our enemies knew

that when we said we would do something, we would do it.

So when you got these Kurdish fighters,

they put their lives on the line to be at our side

fighting against ISIS, and you betray them,

which is what this president has done,

not only is it undermining stability in Syria,

it's undermining the honor of American soldiers

who feel now that their honor has been taken away.

And when you take away a soldier's honor,

you're taking away the most important thing.

And it's taking away our country's honor.

It makes the world a more dangerous place.

And when I am president, when I am Commander in Chief,

we will restore American credibility,

because lives depend on it.

[ Cheers and applause ]

-I know you're in New York,

and I saw that you were riding the subway today, which is --

There you are right there.

[ Cheers and applause ]

I don't know if you were here --

I don't know if you were here to stop by "Saturday Night Live"

to ask them to stop doing an impression of you.

I don't know. But I don't if you saw,

they did an impression of you.

But they're not on this week.

But yeah, you didn't see it? -I didn't see it.

[ Laughter ] -You didn't see it at all?

-No. -No, you didn't see it.

-Was it good? -Well, we have --

Here's a here's a clip of Colin Jost playing Mayor Pete

on "Saturday Night Live." Take a look.

-Hi. [ Cheers and applause ]

Thank you very much. Thank you. I went to Harvard,

but they don't teach you where to put your arms.

Why am I not winning this, you know?

I'm a veteran.

I'm under the legal retirement age.

And when I talk, it makes sense.

Is something wrong with me?

-No, no, you're a great guy,

just, like, as a friend, not for president.

[ Laughter ]

[ Cheers and applause ]

-So, you like it?

-It's okay. -It's okay. It's not --

It wasn't that bad.

-Yeah, I just want to say I'm very comfortable in my own body.

I know exactly what to do with my arms.

I don't know -- -But now you're over-thinking

what to do with your arms now? -Yeah, now, I'm wondering.

Are they too far out, too far in?

-I'll make it easy for you. I just want to shake your hand.

Thank you for coming on our show tonight.

[ Cheers and applause ]

Mayor Pete Buttigieg, everybody!