Former Vice President Mike Pence has been challenged for what has been considered to be a homophobic joke, made during the Gridiron Club Dinner on March 11 in Washington, DC Pence appeared to be making fun of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s “maternity leave” after the premature birth of Buttigieg’s adopted twins with his husband in 2021.
Buttigieg’s newborn twins contracted respiratory syncytial virus, and one of them required hospitalization and a ventilator.
Former Vice President Pence stated that during Buttigieg’s two-month so-called “maternity leave,” incidents such as thousands of Americans being stranded at airports, problems with the air traffic control system, and near-collisions between airplanes occurred, implying that the Transportation Secretary was neglecting his duties.
Pence stated, “I mean, Pete Buttigieg is the only person in the history of humanity to have a child, while the rest of us suffer from postpartum depression.”
In response to his remarks, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre requested an apology from Pence. She stated that the former VP’s remarks were offensive and disrespectful, not only to Secretary Buttigieg, but also to all women, postpartum depression sufferers, and LGBTQ individuals. She added that these people should be accorded respect and dignity.
Chasten, Buttigieg’s husband, also responded by tweeting to Pence, asking where he would be if his grandchild was in the hospital on a ventilator.
Pence, the former governor of Indiana, and Buttigieg, the former mayor of a town in Indiana, worked together to address economic development issues in the state. Pence stated in a 2019 interview that they had a “great working relationship.”
A few months earlier, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson had mocked Buttigieg, who was on paternity leave at the time, by stating that he was attempting to “figure out how to breastfeed.” During an interview with CNN, Buttigieg responded that he has no intention of apologizing to Carlson or anyone else for prioritizing his family.