WATCH: Chasten Buttigieg calls Mike Pence's family values into question after joke

Julia Johnson

March 16, 01:54 PM March 16, 01:54 PM

Chasten Buttigieg, the husband of Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, addressed a recent joke made by former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday's episode of The View.

Buttigieg told the hosts, "The thing about what he said is it flies in the face of what he says he is. He says he’s a family values Republican."

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Last week, Pence made a joke at the annual Gridiron dinner about Pete taking "maternity leave" following the birth of his children.

“When Pete’s two children were born, he took two months’ maternity leave whereupon thousands of travelers were stranded in airports, the air traffic system shut down, and airplanes nearly collided on our runways,” Pence said.

“Pete is the only person in human history to have a child and everyone else gets postpartum depression,” he added.

The View hosts slammed the former vice president's remarks in Tuesday's episode, following the White House's lead.

"I don't think he's practicing what he preaches here," Buttigieg explained. "But It’s part of a much bigger trend, I think, attacking families."

According to him, it was much more than just an attack on the LGBT community. In fact, he said, Pence was "taking a swipe at all women and all families."

"Expecting that women would stay home and raise children, I think, is a pretty misogynistic view, especially from a man who just last year said we should be supporting more people that adopt," he claimed.

"It’s not woke, you know, to say that something is homophobic or misogynistic. It doesn’t make it woke, you know, it doesn't make you a snowflake to tell someone that they've made a mistake," Buttigieg told the hosts.

He further claimed that "it's an extremely dangerous time," claiming that states are targeting "trans kids."

"What they’ve really done is — and they've done quite a good job — it's been a very well-coordinated and well-funded effort to attack the LGBT community, specifically with the book bans," he explained.

Buttigieg then accused states and politicians of going "after extremely vulnerable kids, especially trans kids."

"It’s hard enough being in school as it is. But to be a transgender kid in school and you have this coordinated effort by people who are going after them because they don’t know what else to talk about. They need an enemy. And right now, they’ve decided to make children their enemy," he said.

Buttigieg joined the show to discuss his memoir, I Have Something to Tell You — For Young Adults, which comes out on May 16.

Another Norfolk Southern train derails in Springfield, Ohio after toxic East Palestine spill

Emily Jacobs

March 04, 10:45 PM March 04, 10:45 PM

A Norfolk Southern cargo train derailed in Ohio on Saturday evening, one month after the derailment of another company train carrying hazardous materials sparked concerns about the safety of those nearby.

The Saturday incident took place near the town of Springfield, Ohio, as the 212-car train traveled south, a company spokesperson said. About 20 cars from the train, which did not have passengers on board, derailed by State Route 41 near the Clark County Fairgrounds, leading officials to advise locals within 1,000 feet of the scene to shelter in place. The derailment also caused more than 1,500 residents to temporarily lose power.

OHIO TRAIN DERAILMENT: BIDEN SAYS HE'LL VISIT EAST PALESTINE 'AT SOME POINT'

Norfolk Southern maintains that there were no hazardous materials aboard the train that could lead to anything like what occurred in East Palestine, Ohio in February.

Thirty eight cars of a 150-car train derailed on Feb. 3 while carrying at least five hazardous chemicals, including cancer-causing vinyl chloride, in the eastern Ohio town. After temporarily evacuating residents, officials intentionally released the chemicals into the air while scrambling to avoid an explosion.

Scores of livestock and other animals have died in the weeks since the toxic fumes spread through the small town. Residents, meanwhile, have reported symptoms including rashes, sore throats, nausea, headaches, and burning sensations in their eyes. They have also reported lingering chemical odors.

After taking criticism for the federal government's response to the incident, senior Biden administration officials including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg vowed to hold the rail company accountable. In response to Saturday's derailment, Buttigieg tweeted that he was monitoring the situation and was in touch with state officials.

"I have been briefed by FRA leadership and spoke with Gov. DeWine to offer our support after the derailment today in Clark County, Ohio," he wrote. "No hazardous material release has been reported, but we will continue to monitor closely and FRA personnel are en route."

Three scandals that sank recent Cabinet officials

Jack Birle

February 26, 06:00 AM February 26, 06:00 AM

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has been under intense scrutiny for various transit problems during his two years as head of the Department of Transportation, with the Ohio train derailment being the latest in that series.

As Buttigieg receives bipartisan criticism over his job performance and some Republicans call for him to resign, here is a look at three recent Cabinet officials in the Trump and Obama administrations who resigned after scandal.

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Ryan Zinke — secretary of the interior (2017-2019)

Ryan Zinke served as the head of the Department of the Interior for nearly two years before resigning in December 2018. He faced federal investigations into his travel, political activity, and potential conflicts of interest. The inspector general at the Department referred Zinke to the Department of Justice over its findings, but the DOJ declined to prosecute Zinke.

He was elected in 2022 to serve in Congress, representing Montana's 1st Congressional District.

Tom Price — secretary of health and human services (2017)

Tom Price served as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services for only seven months before resigning in September 2017.

He was the first Trump Cabinet member to resign after reports surfaced he was using close to $1 million in taxpayer money to pay for travel on private jets rather than fly commercial. He reportedly repaid the government $60,000 for the expenses, but the number was far lower than how much his travel actually cost the department.

Eric Shinseki — secretary of veterans affairs (2009-2014)

Eric Shinseki served as head of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the entirety of President Barack Obama's first term before resigning midway through his second.

He resigned as a result of the 2014 Veterans Health Administration scandal when long appointment wait times for the Phoenix Veterans' Affairs Health Care System led to the deaths of 40 veterans who were waiting for care. The negligence at the facility led to several officials losing their jobs, including Shinseki.

After widespread criticism for his slow response to the Ohio train derailment, Buttigieg visited East Palestine, Ohio, to get updates from the National Transportation Safety Board and hear from residents of the town hardest hit by the disaster.

Buttigieg defends protest disrupting Kavanaugh dinner

Abigail Adcox

July 10, 12:47 PM July 10, 12:47 PM

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pushed back on criticism of protesters accumulating outdoors a Washington, D.C., restaurant where Supreme Courtroom Justice Brett Kavanaugh was dining, arguing that they were doing exercises their 1st Modification legal rights.

Buttigieg explained he experienced no dilemma with the protesters, as they had been "tranquil," noting that they were being offended about the current Supreme Courtroom ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade.

JUSTICE BRETT KAVANAUGH HARASSED BY PROTESTERS WHILING Dining IN WASHINGTON

"When public officers go into community lifetime, we must assume two things. A person, you really should constantly be free from violence, harassment, and intimidation. And two, you are in no way heading to be absolutely free from criticism or peaceful protests, individuals doing exercises their rights," Buttigieg mentioned throughout an appearance on WHD News Sunday. "Protesters are upset simply because a suitable, an essential suitable that the vast majority of Americans aid, was taken away."

Kavanaugh was eating at a cafe in downtown D.C. previous Wednesday when he designed a backdoor exit after a group of abortion rights protesters was tipped off even though the justice was having and showed up out front. The team reportedly in no way arrived into get in touch with with the justice, and he was in a position to complete his food, while he skipped out in advance of dessert.

Kavanaugh was dining at the downtown D.C. spot Morton's Steakhouse. The chain afterwards condemned the protest.

“Honorable Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh and all of our other patrons at the restaurant have been unduly harassed by unruly protestors whilst taking in supper at our Morton’s cafe," a Morton's agent stated in a assertion received by Politico. "Politics, irrespective of your side or sights, ought to not trample the liberty at enjoy of the proper to congregate and take in evening meal. There is a time and area for every thing. Disturbing the supper of all of our customers was an act of selfishness and void of decency.”

Buttigieg's spouse, Chasten, responded to a write-up about the incident on Friday, tweeting that it seems like Kavanaugh "just desired some privateness to make his have eating conclusions."

Throughout his interview on Sunday, Buttigieg insisted that he would have no issue if the exact scenario experienced happened to him while eating.

"I can't even explain to you the number of areas, venues, and situations exactly where I’ve been protested. And the base line is this: Any general public determine really should always, normally be free of charge from violence, intimidation, and harassment but need to hardly ever be free of charge from criticism or individuals training their To start with Amendment legal rights," Buttigieg mentioned.