Chasten Buttigieg rips Fox News over interest in partner’s paternity leave: ‘Go yell at an M&M’

Chasten Buttigieg criticised Fox News saying ‘it’s been 17 months. You need new material’

File: US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and husband Chasten Buttigieg (AFP via Getty Images)

Activist and writer Chasten Buttigieg slammed Fox News over its interest in his partner’s paternity leave and slammed them saying “it’s been 17 months” and they should look for “new material”.

Fox News recently published an article implying that Mr Buttigieg’s husband Pete Buttigieg limited the amount of work during his paternity leave in 2021.

Chasten Buttigieg added: “Go yell at an M&M” referring to the right’s outrage this week over M&M’s women-focused advertising campaign.

The Fox News article criticised transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg and said that he avoided some phone calls and requests for public appearances while he was on paternity leave in 2021.

Citing internal documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, Fox reported that Mr Buttigieg declined a request for a call with Senator Chuck Grassley [R-Iowa], in September 2021 to discuss an application for funds toward a bridge in his state.

“Unfortunately, the Secretary is currently on leave due to the birth of his twins, and that may lead to a delay in possibly scheduling in the future,” a staffer emailed Mr Grassley’s office, according to documents.

The article also mentions that the transport secretary didn’t participate in “an hour-long Zoom call for an event with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce” while he was on paternity leave after the birth of his twins.

Chasten Buttigieg tweeted: “This morning the twins helped pick out their sweaters, scooted down the stairs, ran to their chairs, and sat at the table eating scrambled eggs with forks. They said ‘bye bye dada’ on the way out the door. It’s been 17 months. You need new material. Go yell at an M&M.”

The transport secretary’s paternity leave has been criticised by the conservatives. “Pete Buttigieg has been on leave from his job since August after adopting a child. Paternity leave, they call it, trying to figure out how to breastfeed. No word on how that went,” Fox News host Tucker Carlson said in October 2021.

“The guy was not working! Because why? He was trying to figure out how to chestfeed,” Lauren Boebert said in November 2021. “Maybe someone should tell him, please, so he can get back to work.”

Meanwhile, Mr Buttigieg received several messages of support on Twitter. One user wrote: “Hey just letting you know that you and your hubby are loved and your kids are adorable.”