Who will Kamala Harris pick for VP? Shapiro and Kelly among finalists

Campaigning for the White House would not be new for Mr Buttigieg.

As mayor of South Bend, Indiana, he was a surprise favourite of liberal voters in his failed 2020 Democratic primary campaign.

Since then, he has served as federal Transportation Secretary and has become arguably one of the White House’s best communicators.

His skill in interviews and before crowds has been on full display in recent weeks as Ms Harris closes in on a running mate.

On the television show Real Time with Bill Maher, he took multiple shots at Mr Vance. Mr Buttigieg said he “knows” a lot of people like Mr Vance, who “would say whatever they needed to” in order to get ahead.

Mr Buttigieg, 42, pointed out Mr Vance’s history of fiercely criticising Trump and how he’s now changed his tune to “get power”.

He also managed a number of public crises in his role as secretary, helping to oversee the response to the East Palestine train derailment in Ohio, the Baltimore Bridge collapse and Southwest Airlines’ scheduling crisis in 2022.

Vulnerabilities: Some Republicans have criticised Mr Buttigieg for his handling of his role as transportation secretary, saying he took too long to go to East Palestine and has been ineffective when addressing problems facing the US aviation sector.

Conservatives also assailed Mr Buttigieg in 2021 for taking two months’ parental leave during a supply-chain crisis.