Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tops an early 2028 Democratic presidential-primary survey but registers no measurable backing from Black voters, according to a new Emerson College poll released this week. The nationwide poll places Buttigieg at 16% support among likely Democratic voters, ahead of a still-fragmented field. Yet the same survey shows his support among African American respondents at 0%, highlighting a potentially serious vulnerability with a constituency that has been decisive in recent Democratic nominating contests. The result has already stirred discussion on national television. ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith, appearing on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” said Buttigieg “doesn’t move us,” adding that the candidate has yet to connect with Black voters on issues that matter to them. Other critics pointed to his tenure at the Transportation Department, arguing that high-profile battles over airline fees and electric-vehicle subsidies have overshadowed bread-and-butter transit concerns.