Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a huge fan of the political drama The West Wing, but he also praised Game of Thrones in an interview as one of the best shows about politics.
“I also think Game of Thrones is the best TV show about politics perhaps since the West Wing if it’s properly understood,” he said in an interview with National Public Radio.
When NPR reporter Tamara Keith admitted she was still trying to get through the HBO show The Wire Buttigieg immediately changed his mind.
“Actually, I should say ‘The Wire,’ it would be more honest to say since ‘The Wire’ because obviously, that’s an amazing show about politics,” he said.
Buttigieg said he enjoyed Game of Thrones every week with his husband Chasten and a glass of wine but was concerned about the arc of the fictional character Daenerys Targaryen.
“I’m really concerned about Daenerys Targaryen’s leadership choices,” he said. “I mean over the years I felt like you were watching her — yes, even then there were some questionable decisions, but you were watching her grow as a leader.”
He said admired Targarian for acquiring tools of power (Dragons) and getting a circle of intelligent advisers as she continued her path of conquest.
But Buttigieg admitted that her decision to torch Kings Landing indiscriminately with her dragon made him sad.
“The implications for the Seven Kingdoms are obviously very serious and it’s hard for me to let go,” he said.