Leonardo DiCaprio wanted to help Pete Buttigieg with his delivery ahead of a debate during his 2020 presidential campaign…but the offer fell into Pete’s hands!
Lily Smithpolitical strategist and former senior director of communications for Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign, TMZ tells … Leo offered a private coaching session with Pete ahead of a nationally televised debate, but Buttigieg’s knowledge of pop culture was doing the trick. default and he did not recognize what he had in front of him.
We’re told Leo extended the offer in October 2019, at a swanky private fundraiser for Pete at a Los Angeles mansion, which was teeming with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars… including Paris Hilton, Ashton Kutcher, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom.
It’s funny… Lis says Pete appreciated the support from Hollywood and the millions of dollars in donations that poured into his campaign, but he’s never been one to follow pop culture closely and has barely recognized celebrities.
While we’re told most celebrities, like Paris, just snap selfies with Pete and exchange pleasantries, Leo went a step further… giving Buttigieg the ultimate offer during a chat in the one of the back rooms of the mansion.
Leo’s speech went like this…he would help Pete with his speaking style and coach him on how best to deliver his talking points in the upcoming debate.
Obviously, Leo has done all sorts of roles in Hollywood…even if he’s not particularly known for his spontaneity…remember, Leo has never even hosted “SNL,” but he’s still just as talented.
Lis says she was thrilled when Pete told her about Leo’s offer, but when she asked if he had DiCaprio’s numbers, Buttigieg said no. Lis says she was beside herself, but attributed it to Pete not fully grasping the significance of Leo’s offer…because he’s not a big pop culture guy .
In the end, Pete handled the debate well without Leo’s help… Lis calling it a turning point in Pete’s campaign, sending him to the top of the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Lis spills more political tea in her upcoming book, “Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story” … but this Buttigieg nugget isn’t in the print.
No word if Leo is also offering his help President Biden with his teleprompter.