‘This Is Us’ Star Mandy Moore Stumps for Pete Buttigieg: ‘Our Country Is in Crisis’ Under Trump

Mandy Moore attends the world premiere of "Midway," at the Regency Village Theat
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Charlie Spiering

Actress Mandy Moore warned Pete Buttigieg supporters in Iowa on Monday that America was in a “crisis” and that the former South Bend Mayor was the best candidate to take on President Trump in November.

The This Is Us star appeared in Ames, Iowa, to introduce Pete Buttigieg, telling voters she wore “weather appropriate heels” for the event.

Moore described Buttigieg as a “brilliant, plain-spoken millennial” that spoke a half a dozen languages and played the piano and the didgeridoo.

“He likes to unwind with his rescue dogs and his husband Chasten who I know and love. You couldn’t write any of this if you tried. Because he’s truly an original and honestly, I think that’s what we need right now in this country because we’re not in a TV show, this isn’t a movie, right?” she said. “It’s our reality and our country is in crisis.”

Moore said that publicly campaigning for a candidate was “new ground” for her but that privately she was an “obsessed” follower of political news and information.

“When I first saw Pete and came to learn about him and his campaign it was a no brainer, I just had to support,” she said.

Mandy Moore said she followed Buttigieg’s failed campaign for Democrat National Committee chair in 2017 and was soon “blown away” by one of his speeches.

“He was so engaging and intelligent and articulate and he also felt like a human being,” the actress-singer said. “He was someone that you could really talk to. He’s obviously incredible brilliant and articulate but the way he was able to articulate that message never felt like he was talking over me it felt like he was talking directly to me and I love that.”

Moore said that her career afforded her the opportunity to work with some “pretty cool characters” including her television husband Jack Pierson on the show “This Is Us” whom she described as the “perfect man.”

The Midway star said that Buttigieg stood out in similar ways as a great candidate for president.

“It’s funny because I don’t think that Hollywood even knows what to do with him,” she said. “He’s that much of an original.”

After taking the stage, Buttigieg also praised Moore’s performance in the hit NBC drama This Is Us.

“I can’t watch it too often because I just cry like in the first 20 seconds. I’m just bawling,” he said.

Moore also spoke with reporters after the event, pouring on more praise for Buttigieg.

“He’s someone who obviously has incredibly policy ideas, but they’re never ideas that feel unattainable, it feels like he’s speaking directly to you and you know he’s going to get the job done,” she said.

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