Buttigieg on Concerns $15 Minimum Wage Would Hurt Small Businesses: ‘I’m Not Interested in Who It Hurts’
by Mariane Angela
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he was “not interested in who it hurts” when Patrick Bet-David warned that a $15 minimum wage could put small businesses at a disadvantage against major corporations.
The exchange came during Buttigieg’s appearance on the “PBD Podcast” released Friday, where the two discussed taxes, economic policy, and the Democrat Party’s future.
Bet-David challenged Buttigieg over the cost of a higher wage requirement, saying companies such as Amazon, Walmart, and Target could afford increases that a locally owned shop might struggle to cover.
Pete Buttigieg Says Raising the Minimum Wage WON'T Kill Small Businesses
PBD: “Who do you think is impacted if you raise the minimum wage to 15 bucks an hour? Amazon, Walmart, Target, they can raise it. The guy that can’t afford it is that small shop in Hope, Arkansas. Amazon’s… pic.twitter.com/qo0wZRju5u
— PBD Podcast (@PBDsPodcast) November 6, 2026
“Who do you think is impacted if you raise the minimum wage to 15 bucks an hour? Amazon, Walmart, Target, they can raise it,” Bet-David said.
He offered a hypothetical business in Hope, Arkansas, to explain his concern.
“The guy that can’t afford it is that small shop in Hope, Arkansas. Amazon’s across the street, Walmart’s across the street, and Joey’s Place that’s been there for six years is out of business,” he continued. “Raising the minimum wage hurts that guy. It doesn’t hurt the Fortune 500 companies at all.”