Tucker Carlson Torched For Homophobic Comment About Pete Buttigieg's Paternity Leave
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Fox News’ Tucker Carlson was slammed Thursday for making a homophobic and misogynistic remark about Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, went on paid parental leave in mid-August to spend time with his husband Chasten and their newborn twins, Penelope Rose and Joseph August.
“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,” Carlson said during a rant about inflation and supply chain issues.
Tucker Carlson mocks Pete Buttigieg for taking paternity leave: "Paternity leave, they call it, trying to figure out how to breastfeed, no word on how that went." pic.twitter.com/zFnp6uSser
— nikki mccann screamírez 👻 (@NikkiMcR) October 15, 2021
Fox News also offers paternity leave to its employees. “Fox & Friends First” co-host Todd Piro announced earlier this year that he would take a six-week paternity leave to spend time with his daughter. In April, Fox News host Jesse Watters took a brief leave after the birth of his third child.
“Now I am pro-paternity. I used to mock people for taking paternity, I used to think it was a big ruse. But now, ya know, I wish I could take six weeks,” Watters said on “The Five” at the time.
Buttigieg spent four weeks “mostly offline” from work with his husband and babies, a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation told Politico. Although he is still taking time to support his family, Buttigieg has begun “ramping up activities.” He made a slate of media and event appearances this week.
Carlson has been accused of homophobia many times in the past. Earlier this year, an entry from his college yearbook went viral. In it, he wrote that he was part of the “Dan White Society.” Many interpreted that as a reference to the man who in 1978 murdered San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and city supervisor Harvey Milk, California’s first openly gay elected politician.
Carlson has also affiliated himself with the Jesse Helms Foundation, which is named after the late anti-gay and anti-civil rights North Carolina senator.
Carlson’s latest comments were met with disgust from critics:
crude homophobia on the most-watched cable news show https://t.co/MflDsHkjuW
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 15, 2021
Tucker Carlson's @FoxNews colleague, @ToddPiro, in April, after he took six weeks of leave to help care for his infant daughter:
"I cannot thank Fox enough for providing all fathers who work here with such a generous paternity leave." https://t.co/FU50gSkIEohttps://t.co/LDwLmfvtGq— David Gura (@davidgura) October 15, 2021
.@TuckerCarlson I took two weeks paternity leave after the birth of each of my kids. Not all of us were raised among the uber-wealthy who ship their kids off to boarding school. Some of us take time off to care for our kids.
— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) October 15, 2021
I believe Fox News offers six weeks of paternity leave to employees. https://t.co/tfNyoQbsbG
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) October 15, 2021
As I’ve said, Tucker Carlson has a pathological obsession with homosexuality https://t.co/iwCa0NGIhe
— Michelangelo Signorile (@MSignorile) October 15, 2021
Tucker Carlson mocked Pete Buttigieg for being a gay parent. Any remaining Fox News advertisers should be destroyed for their embrace homophobia. https://t.co/JXQQjwvMEt
— John Aravosis 🇺🇸🇬🇷🏳️🌈 (@aravosis) October 15, 2021
I took all 12 weeks of paternity leave offered by the company that employs this man. It was easily one of the best decisions I ever made. Everyone should have that. https://t.co/zJZ9cxCgmV
— Jon Ostrower (@jonostrower) October 15, 2021
His company, which used to be my company too, has pretty solid paternity leave policies iirc. Paternity leave is good https://t.co/VtR0kp1GmE
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) October 15, 2021
subtle https://t.co/IEzdYraLsT
— John Iadarola (@johniadarola) October 15, 2021
A fish stick heir named Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson took a swing at Pete Buttigieg’s masculinity. Let that sink in. https://t.co/wu6tsOsmSw
— George Hahn (@georgehahn) October 15, 2021
Fox News did not immediately return a request for comment.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.