Pete Buttigieg returns to South Carolina as he weighs another White House run

ORANGEBURG, S.C. (AP) – The last time Pete Buttigieg was giving a political speech in South Carolina, it was to mark a distant finish in the state's primary that effectively concluded his campaign for president.

What happened

Returning this weekend as he mulls a second run for the White House, Buttigieg set out to reintroduce himself to the state and the Black voters he struggled to win in 2020. The results were encouraging.

There was a standing ovation in a Black church in South Carolina when Buttigieg was credited for helping bring millions of federal dollars to the area for a project as President Joe Biden's transportation secretary. A second ovation came as Buttigieg offered a speech warning of a country in "big trouble" while laying out his own vision for what should come next.

"There is no such thing as again in real life. The only way out is through, " Buttigieg informed the crowd of more than 200 residents at an NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner. "If we recognize and embrace a future that is different from the past, we will do better."

The bottom line

Taken together, the developments around pete Buttigieg returns to South Carolina as he weighs another White House point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.