Trump Jr. Calls Pete Buttigieg 'That Gay Guy' During Homophobic TV Rant

Donald Trump, Jr. went on the far-right Newsmax network on Wednesday and trafficked in blatant homophobia when he referred to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as "that gay guy" and claimed that he was in his position merely because of his sexual orientation.

Criticizing Buttigieg’s response to the disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, where a train carrying hazardous materials derailed three weeks ago, Trump Jr. said: “There’s not even the expectation of these guys doing their jobs."

He then began his diatribe against the Rhodes Scholar and former mayor.

“Peter has no business in that position, but he’s the guy who had no business running for president. But they let him do that because he was gay, and they checked off a box, and then he didn’t win, but, well, he’s the gay guy, so we’ve got to give him something, let’s make him Transportation Secretary. What does he know about it? Nothing. His failure, after failure, after failure are truly affecting the American people.”

Republicans had criticized Buttigieg for not immediately going to the site of the train derailment despite never becoming upset with Trump’s transportation secretary Elaine Chao, who is married to Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, for failing to go to any derailment during her tenure — including ones with fatalities.

Buttigieg visited the accident scene on Thursday and called for the former president to join the Biden administration’s push to undo the previous administration’s deregulations around railroad safety.

Video of the younger Trump’s appearance on Newsmax was posted to Twitter by at least one person, and that recording has been viewed nearly 2 million times on Twitter.

Another Twitter user just replied to the video with facts about Buttigieg.

“@SecretaryPete graduated from Harvard & Oxford (where he was a Rhodes Scholar). He’s fluent in 7 languages. Pete was an Intelligence Officer who served in Afghanistan. He was mayor of South Bend. Pete’s an accomplished pianist who was invited to accompany a symphony orchestra,” the person wrote.

Republicans and those on the right have sought to attack several LGBTQ+ members of President Biden’s administration and cast them as unworthy of their positions.

Conservative pundits and right-wing influencers often disparage White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the first out Black woman to hold the position, and Assistant Secretary for Health, ADM Rachel Levine, the first transgender person confirmed by the Senate, as unqualified for their roles.