Woke Pete Buttigieg Hilariously Roasted Over New Appearance: WATCH

Pete Buttigieg is sporting a new look, and the internet isn't loving it.

The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana and Department of Transportation Secretary under President Joe Biden continues to try to elevate his profile.

Why?

He's desperate to be President. The man craves higher power, and seems to believe he has a legitimate shot at being the Democrat nominee in 2028.

How will he appeal to men? One of his strategies appears to grow facial hair.

The internet is having fun with Pete Buttigieg growing a beard. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Social media reacts to Pete Buttigieg's new beard.

The former Department of Transportation Secretary held a town hall Monday night in Iowa, and people were quick to notice he'd ditched his clean-cut look in favor of a beard.

Let's be honest, we all know Buttigieg didn't randomly grow a beard because he felt like it or forgot his razor. It's almost certainly a calculated move, and people on social media aren't buying it.

Check out some of the reactions floating around on X below.

I'm pretty sure growing a beard isn't going to appeal to moderate voters, and this little shtick is absolutely not going to appeal to men on the right.

We've seen this movie before with Democrats trying to act more masculine. Tim Walz talked about football and how much he loved hunting.

It all imploded as soon as he was filmed seemingly struggling with a shotgun. You simply can't fake authenticity in our current era, and growing a beard isn't going to make Mayor Pete look more presidential.

The internet is mocking Pete Buttigieg's new look. (Photo by KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Having said that, I have to at least give Buttigieg credit for his comments in the video above about protecting free speech. As a free speech absolutist, he's 100% correct when he says speech you disagree with must be protected at all costs.

That's the entire point of free speech. If the speech were popular, then it wouldn't need to be protected. It seems like a lot of people across the political spectrum are forgetting that simple fact.

Pete Buttigieg is sporting a different look these days. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for The Atlantic)

What do you think about Buttigieg's new look and his comments? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.