Pete Buttigieg calls out JD Vance as being 'not pro-family for me'

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, one of the most prominent gay politicos in the country, delivered a scathing rebuttal to Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance during a Sunday CNN interview, challenging former President Donald Trump’s running mate’s controversial remarks that disparaged prominent Democrats as “childless cat ladies.” Buttigieg, a father of two with his husband Chasten, accused Vance of lying and perpetuating divisive rhetoric that undermines the diverse American families.

Vance previously criticized Democrats like Vice President Kamala Harris,New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Buttigieg, suggesting their lack of biological children made them unfit to lead and disconnected from the country’s future. Harris, the Democratic nominee for president of the United States, has stepchildren from her blended family with her husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. In a recent interview with Dana Bash that aired over the weekend, Vance attempted to walk back his comments, claiming he never criticized individuals for not having children but rather for being “anti-child.”

“Well, of course I do, Dana,” Vance responded when asked if he recognized Harris and Buttigieg as parents. “I never criticized people for not having kids. I criticize people for being anti-child.”

Buttigieg, responding to Vance’s taped interview that aired earlier in the show, swiftly refuted Vance’s attempt to backpedal, calling out what he described as a clear falsehood. “I don’t know which part of that is worse,” Buttigieg said. “The lie that he just told when he says he never criticized people for not having kids, because of course he very much did, including Kamala Harris and me and a lot of other people, millions of Americans, in fact, who he disparaged as childless cat ladies.”

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Buttigieg pointed out the dangers of framing political disagreements as a binary choice between being “pro-child” or “anti-child,” a tactic that Buttigieg argued oversimplifies complex issues and fosters unnecessary division. “It’s always disparagement,” Buttigieg said, criticizing Vance’s tendency to attack political opponents.

Moreover, Buttigieg highlighted the inconsistency in Vance’s stance, noting that while Vance acknowledged his family’s legitimacy during the interview, the senator has historically opposed marriage equality and other legal protections for same-sex couples. “Last time I checked, he doesn’t even think I should legally be able to have a family,” Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg emphasized that the real issue at hand is not whether someone has biological children but whether they support policies that genuinely uplift and protect all families, regardless of their makeup.

“If you want to talk about promoting children, promoting family, put your money where your mouth is,” Buttigieg challenged, contrasting the Democratic Party’s efforts to expand support for families with the Republican Party’s often rhetorical embrace of “family values.”

Reflecting on Vance’s rhetoric, Buttigieg concluded, “I don’t know exactly what his vision of us not having a family looks like, but I know that it’s not pro-family for me.”