Karine Jean-Pierre Rips Mike Pence’s Joke About Pete Buttigieg’s Parental Leave: ‘Homophobic’ and ‘Offensive’
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
The White House denounced former Vice President Mike Pence for mocking Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg over the parental leave he took when he and his husband adopted newborn twins.
Pence spoke at the annual Gridiron Club Dinner on Saturday, and though the event is never broadcast, there’s been significant media buzz about how the former veep offered some of his harshest comments ever about former President Donald Trump. Reports say that Pence warned “history will hold Donald Trump accountable” for January 6th, that Pence ripped the ex-president for endangering his family that day, and that Pence also blasted Fox News’ Tucker Carlson for attempting to whitewash the storming of the U.S. Capitol.
Reports have also stated Pence drew a negative reaction at the dinner when he took a crack at Buttigieg.
From the Associated Press:
Pence mentioned that, despite travel problems that were plaguing Americans, Buttigieg took “maternity leave” after he and his husband adopted newborn twins.
“Pete is the only person in human history to have a child and everyone else gets post-partum depression,” Pence said.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre denounced the remarks as homophobic, giving the Washington Blade a statement condemning the former vice president’s comments.
The former vice president’s homophobic joke about Secretary Buttigieg was offensive and inappropriate, all the more so because he treated women suffering from postpartum depression as a punchline. He should apologize to women and LGBTQ people, who are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect
Ever since Pete and Chasten Buttigieg adopted their kids in 2021, conservatives have repeatedly mocked the two over the transportation secretary’s paternity leave to be with his family at the time. Others have critiqued Secretary Buttigieg about how his department handled the supply chain crisis and other challenges in this period.
