Pete Buttigieg defended his absence from duties as transportation secretary while on paternity leave as supply chain issues worsened.
During a media blitz Friday, Buttigieg said Tucker Carlson “doesn’t understand the concept of bottle feeding, let alone the concept of paternity leave,” after the Fox News host wondered if he was “trying to figure out how to breastfeed” while on leave.
CABINET OFFICIALS SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO SHOW UP AND DO THEIR JOBS
Buttigieg has been on leave since mid-August, Politico reported on Thursday. On Sept. 4, he revealed that he and husband Chasten had adopted twins.
After Carlson made waves by mocking Buttigieg being on paternity leave Thursday evening, the secretary appeared on multiple news outlets Friday to show his presence and promote President Joe Biden’s agenda during the supply chain problems leaving ports congested and shelves empty.
“What is really strange is that, you know, this is from a side of the aisle that used to claim the mantle of being pro-family,” Buttigieg said. “What we have right now is an administration that’s actually pro-family. And I’m blessed to be able to experience that as an employee, being able to have the flexibility to take care of our newborn children.”
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A Transportation Department spokesperson told Politico that Buttigieg was “mostly offline” during the first four weeks of leave, and that he’s been “ramping up activities since then.”
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Tags: News, Department of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, Supply chain, Tucker Carlson, Parenting, Fox News
Original Author: Virginia Aabram
Original Location: Pete Buttigieg snipes back after Tucker Carlson mocks him over paternity leave