Pete Buttigieg speaks during a rally at Palo Alto College on Sunday. Credit: Michael Karlis

Biden administration Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg ripped controversial Republican congressional candidate Brandon Herrera while stumping for South Texas Democrats at a Sunday rally in San Antonio.

Herrera, a YouTuber who makes gun-related content under the nickname of the “AK Guy,” has drawn criticism for controversial online remarks. Those have included joking about veteran suicides, referring to children as “cum trophies,” mocking women for their weight and describing a Nazi-era submachine gun as “the original ghetto blaster.”

Herrera has tried to downplay his remarks, telling the Guardian they were just “jokes” and part of being a content creator.

However, that explanation didn’t pass the smell test for Buttigieg, who visited Palo Alto College to stump for Herrera’s Democratic opponent, Katy Padilla Stout.

“Content creators and social media personalities are human beings who out to know right from wrong, especially if they want to be elected to office,” Buttigieg said.

Indeed, Herrera’s rhetoric has become such a liability for Republicans that Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was forced to address the controversy during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union.

“That’s despicable language,” Johnson said. “But I also know Brandon Herrera has been out running a very effective campaign and explaining to people that he has apologized for all that. He was a podcaster and a provocateur and tried to get attention.”

During his speech at Palo Alto on Sunday, Buttigieg responded to Johnson’s defense of Herrera.

“[Herrera] has achieved one remarkable thing,” Buttigieg said. “Without even arriving in Congress, he has already become an embarrassment for Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. That is a feat. … The Speaker by this point is probably very accustomed to embarrassment. He ought to be.”

Early voting in the midterms begins Monday, Oct. 19, and ends on Friday, Oct. 30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Texas residents have until Monday, Oct. 5, to update their voter registrations if they want to cast a ballot in the contest.

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Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...