Chasten Buttigieg Slams Mike Pence's 'Postpartum Depression' Dig
Pete Buttigieg, called out former Vice President Mike Pence for his "attempted joke" about the secretary taking "maternity leave" after the couple adopted baby twins.Republicans have mocked Buttigieg, the first openly gay Cabinet member, for taking parental leave after the couple adopted the infants in 2021.
Although Buttigieg, like other new parents, took the parental leave he was entitled to, Republicans targeted the transportation secretary for doing so, and critics say the attacks reflect homophobia.Pence took a swipe at Buttigieg's parental leave during a speech at the Gridiron Dinner, in which top political figures often exchange barbs, in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.
He quipped that Buttigieg took "maternity leave" and that as a result the United States suffered "postpartum depression.""Pete is the only person in human history to have a child and everyone else gets post-partum depression," Pence said, according to the Associated Press.The remarks quickly drew some backlash, with critics condemning the joke as homophobic.
Pence has long had a tense relationship with the LGBTQ community over his long-standing conservative positions on LGBTQ issues."Mike Pence drops some homophobia as he prepares for a likely White House bid," wrote health and science journalist Benjamin Ryan on Twitter.On Monday, Chasten Buttigieg took to Twitter to also respond to Pence's remarks.
