Fox attacks Pete Buttigieg's family, INSTANTLY regrets it

I'm joined now by Chaston Buddhaj. Thanks so much for joining me. Thanks. for having me. So we we're in inshed in. this whole second iteration of our. signal gate scandal. Obviously Mike. Walls was just let go from the. administration as the result of his. involvement in all of this. I'm curious. when when you had your correspondence. with Pete when he was in the White. House, how seriously did they take. security? How seriously did they did. they take official correspondence? Uh. how often did he discuss imminent war. plans with you at the dinner table? Was. he let go from the administration. though? Because wasn't he nominated for. UNM? Like that's true. If you think.

Donald Trump gives half a about the. the UN like that is that is effectively. that's just so sad for America. It's. like you're you're getting kicked out of. the White House in the administration. because you handled classified. information so poorly and so that we're. going to send you to the to represent. the United States in front of the entire. world. The entire world. Yeah. Yeah. So. bad. Yeah. No, we talk about war plans. all the time over dinner. You know, it's. very common. Uh, no. It's it is. mind-boggling the things that they get. away with there and that they they they.

call normal. You know, there would be. multiple times where I'd ask me like, "Oh, where are you going again. tomorrow?" And it's like, "I can't tell. you." You know, if there was like. something happening in a in a secure. location uh or they were working on. something with a problem and I would see. him like frustrated about some like. phone calls and texts that he was. working on. Uh, and I would say like, "What's going on?" Cuz you want to like. help as the spouse. He's like, "I can't. talk about it. I can't, you know, I. literally can't talk about And. apparently like Hex's wife is just like. joining him in all of his meetings. Forget not talking about it. He's like, "Come on in. I'll read I'll read you in. You let us know where you think the.

Houthies would be." Uh, can you imagine? Imagine like imagine how Fox News would. handle it if it's like Chaston Buddha. Judge joins his husband Pete uh in the. Roosevelt room. Chaston Buddha Judge, you know, reads classified information. to his children at bedtime. Was it Brett. Bearer who literally uh questioned Pete. for the was it the Invictus games? Yes. And so can you talk about that a little. bit? Yeah. Uh Pete led a presidential. delegation to the Invictus Games uh. which uh is a an athletic competition. amongst wounded war veterans. Uh and.

Pete led the delegation. It was in the. Netherlands. Um and typically the person. who leads the delegation brings their. spouse. Uh so I went uh to the. Netherlands to see the Invictus Games. and meet with Wounded American Warriors. And uh at that time Pete also had some. meetings with Ukrainian the Ukrainian. delegation. It was really cool. Um and. uh very uh impactful for me to feel like. I was representing my country at such a. high level. Um and then when we came. back um some folks on the right decided.

to uh lean into the story that Pete had. taken his spouse to a um I think they. called it a sporting event. Yeah. Um on. a private airplane. Um so typically when. you lead a delegation, you take an. American aircraft. Uh it was not a. private airplane. And I wasn't like, you. know, flying around with Beyonce going. to like, you know, basketball. But at. the same time, it's they don't they. don't stick you on an American Airlines. flight, you know, in 32B. It's also. surprising when you're when you're going. with, you know, senators and and. legislators um uh the amount of.

coordination that takes and the amount. of staff that involves um also just on a. security level, right? Um but yeah, yeah, he he famously called out Pete and. asked if he was going to pay back the. taxpayer for taking me on that trip. um. which multiple people had uh done before. and take with their own spouses. Great, right? Uh and I remember I I I uh. tweeted at them. I asked if this was. going to be a thing, you know, when uh. the new administration came in and they. were doing this or when Shawn Duffy was, you know, flying his kids to the was the. Indy500 or something. Um that's right.

You know, it's like these these are. oftent times normal things that happen. during an administration. Um it just. seems to be one-sided. And the hypocrisy. is one thing that's kind of been like. driving me nuts that they they screamed. um fraud, right, and abuse for four. years when they came in and yet they go. in and they just bring their spouses to. confidential meetings and share. confidential information on an unsecured. app. Uh apparently his phone number can.

just be found on the internet, you know, and I mean like I have sat through. security briefings like what to do with. my device and our devices and you know. how to keep our family safe. So, it's. just mindboggling that they just get. away with so much. On a more personal. note, what is it like to not to not be. told? Like, I understand logically. speaking that if if if your spouse tells. you that they can't tell you something. because because it's classified or. whatever, but then there has to be a. more human level where it's like, you. know, the relationships are built on.

trust, right? And so and so like or or. openness or being communicative. And is. it is it weird to to get used to this. idea that that um your spouse is. actively hiding something hiding. something from and granted it's not it's. not malicious, but the reality is that. that you're not being told something. that they know and they just aren't you. wear a lot of different hats as a as a. political spouse. Yeah. Yeah. On there. It's always on a personal level like I. want to help. You're going through. something. You're frustrated. How can I. help? And you know, I guess that's what.

sets him apart from some people in this. administration is that I cannot discuss. this with you. You know, it's. classified. Um, and you know, you have. to kind of learn to just say, "Okay, you. know, I hope it gets better. You know, whatever's happening." Yeah. Well, it's. kind of in in that sense, it's a little. bit of a relief because then there's no. pressure on you to do anything to solve. the problem. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. Well, I'm curious just more broadly. zooming out on this exact topic. You. know, we we obviously just sat through. an entire election cycle where the. principal targets of the Republicans eye.

were the entire LGBT community. Sure. And so, granted, it was it was. especially focused on on the trans. community. I'm just curious how that. that manifests it for for somebody who, you know, in your position, obviously a. member of the LGBT community, to be able. to kind of feel like the biggest. punching bag in America right now is, you know, folks in your community. Yeah. Well, I certainly don't feel like I'm. the biggest punching bag. You're you're. absolutely right that transame Americans. definitely are getting uh their unfair. share of hate. Um as someone in the.

community, you always want to stick up. for other people in your community. Um. and just make sure that they're okay. And so on on one level, you're trying to. do the right amount of work to let. people in your community know that. you're there for them. And then, you. know, on the other hand, you're trying. to do political work because you're. trying to win an election or you're. trying to, you know, move the ball. forward. So, you're trying to have. conversations with your neighbors about. how really you need to stop bullying. trans people and we need to start having. conversations about how we're going to. make child care more affordable, how. we're going to make healthcare more. affordable. Um, so you're you're kind of. juggling a lot there. And I think it uh.

it it just kind of speaks to their focus. on things that don't affect everyday. Americans. um that it's easier to to. make trans people the boogeyman than it. is to talk about why uh they're making. it harder to raise children in this. country. Like right now uh we're. putting, you know, 145% tariffs on. China. A lot of baby items come from. China, strollers, car seats. You know, they're the White House is screaming,

"Have more kids, have more kids.". They're trying to find a way to pay. people to have kids. uh while they're. trying to cut Head Start, kick, you. know, nearly a million kids uh out of. their child care, grocery prices are. going up and now your strollers and your. car seats are going to be much more. expensive. So, they don't want to talk. about those things cuz those are really. hard things to talk about. Those are. policy conversations. Um sometimes those. are nuanced conversations. Um so, what. we want to do is just focus on one. person or one very very very small group.

of people and make them the boogeyman. Yeah. Um like in Michigan, I'm pretty. sure the number of kids who have. petitioned the state athletic. association to play on a team is like. less than two. Yeah. Right. In an entire. state, but they would rather talk about. those two kids, right, than things that. are going to make your life more. affordable or easier. Do you do you. think that the American people more. broadly kind of I don't want to say. learn their lesson about about kind of. allowing ourselves I'll throw myself in. even though I wouldn't include myself in. this, but allowing ourselves to be. distracted by these marginal issues. I.

mean, exact point. We're talking about. less than 10 people in the entirety of. the NCAA. Um, versus now, I mean, we're. we're thrust into, you know, economic. turmoil. The United States economy has. contracted even as other economies. across the world have expanded. And yet, this is all predicated on the fact that. Donald Trump won the election because he. was so effective at shining a spotlight. on just a handful of people. And like. now look at where we are because we. allowed ourselves to be distracted by.

the trans issue and and yet when you. have somebody who's in office who is so. incompetent, so incapable that that he's. voluntarily ushering in a recession, do. you feel like okay, maybe maybe we. allowed ourselves to be distracted this. time but like moving forward maybe not. fall for the culture war issue so. easily? Well, I think maybe some people. were distracted by it and only wanted to. focus on it and I think some other. people just didn't have the guts to talk. about it. Maybe because they were. scared. You know, a lot of people in. America have never met a trans person. Yeah. right? Maybe they felt like they. were walking on eggshells and they. didn't want to hurt anybody. They didn't.

want to say the wrong thing. Um but. they, you know, they didn't want to. speak up when somebody at the dinner. table um at a at a family gathering um. said something really harmful or maybe. untrue. And so I think something that. the, you know, the trans community could. use, but also just Democrats at large. could use is people calling. Yeah. And don't be afraid to push back. And it's kind of awkward when I mean, especially I'm from the Midwest, so it's. pretty it's it's pretty difficult to. call BS at a at a family function, but. when someone is focused so focused on a. on a on a small minority of people, um,

but not focused on the things right in. front of them that affect their life or. the lives of people in their family, you. got to you got to refocus the spotlight. on the things that truly matter. And I. think some people just weren't maybe. confident enough uh to speak up and say, "Actually, here's what I think." um or I. think you're getting that wrong. That's. really hard to do that to you know. someone you love or someone you trust. But I think Democrats would be served. well if you know we just kind of said it. with our whole chest like call call out.

the BS. And also like I think what Tim. Waltz got really you we he did well on. was calling things weird. It is weird to. focus on, you know, 10 kids in the. United States of America when there are. families in our community back home in. Michigan, uh, who are struggling to put. food on the table, who are struggling to. figure out how they can go to work. full-time and then pay for the rising. cost of child care. Those are the things. that they want to know about. Um, but. yet we're spending all this time. responding to the hatred coming from the. right. Um, when we really should just be. talking about how to make people's lives.

better. And and I I do think that we're. going to get to a moment right now where. everybody kind of feels silly for having. allowed that to consume so much time. Um. you know, in in a moment right now where. where I mean again like Trump is. voluntarily ushering in so much calamity. of the entire Republican conference. enabling him because they're. collectively too chicken to. actually push back on anything that he's. doing. And so kind of in retrospect, the. fact that we spent so much energy, so. much air time in this country attacking.

some marginalized community. Um really. does feel like the bait and switch that. that it was. Um let's talk about the uh. the beard. Um how uh what a switch. Yeah, I just wanted to go with that. seamless transition there. Um how uh how. did the beard come about and how much of. a say um did you have to have before. before he was allowed to really uh. really um you know show it off? No, I I. think Pete grew a beard like way back in.

2017 or something when we were on. vacation. Um, and then he had a beard. when the kids were born and both times. I've seen the beard. I was like, I like. the beard. I think you should keep the. beard. And so, um, I I am encouraging. the beard. I like the beard. Yeah. Do. you feel like we're in a moment right. now because things are just, you know, things are a little bit looser in. politics? You can curse now. You can say. whatever you want. You be normal human. beings. is that the beard is actually a. uh a a positive that the beard actually. I don't know. I guess jury's out. Uh I. it's I swear to God everywhere I go it's.

like someone has an opinion about the. beard. Yeah. I mean normally everything. everybody is really well wellkept and. clean shaven and that you know I mean I. hate hate to point to Ted Cruz as the uh. as the trends setter here but but I mean. he was like you know Ted Ted Cruz had. the had his Wolverine beard first. There's other folks for him. Yeah. So, so tell us about your new book that you. just wrote and why you decided to write. it. Oh, I wrote a children's book called. Papa's Coming Home. Uh, it comes out on. May 20th. And, uh, really I wrote it.

because there aren't a lot of books like. it. Uh, when our kids were born, I was. asking around for books with families. that look like ours. Uh, just wanted a. day in the life book with two dads. Yeah. Uh, so my kids could see. themselves uh, in a book, and there. aren't a ton. Uh, and I was flying home. uh, from a work gig one day and just. thought about how excited I was to come. home to them. um and how excited they. might be or like these characters might. be um that one of their dads is coming. home. Um so it's it's a super cute book. Uh you know, the kids are super excited.

to go to the airport, pick up their. other dad, and they think that he's. going to miss everything. So they, you. know, packed the minivan full of signs. and flowers and a cake and his slippers. and his books and like his favorite. cheese, you know. Um and in the end, you. know, it's the dad saying, "I like these. things, but the best part about coming. home is you." Yeah. And that's all I. wanted. um was just uh one for my kids. to see themselves in the book and then. two just a book about unconditional. love. And and that's the thing I wanted. to ask is like you know I think a lot of. portrayals of same-sex couples in the.

media often focus on that on the fact. that they're same sex as like as the. defining characteristic in their lives. But in fact, I'm sure you that you and. Pete don't just talk about being a. same-sex couple all day and it's like. that's that's what your whole life. especially at bedtime because no, I. think there's room for every type of. book, right? It's the great thing about. the library or the bookstore. Um uh but. I didn't want to always be reading books. that reflected our family that were kind. of punching you in the face with a. moral. I was like, it's okay to be.

different. Everybody's everybody's. family is different. But I didn't always. want to be talking about difference. Uh. I just wanted the kids to follow along. in a story and say like, oh that looks. like me. Yeah. It's not saying it's okay. [Music]. I just wanted a sweet story. How have. the kids reacted? And I know they're. young, so this might be moot, but how. have they reacted to just seeing seeing. um instances where where where your kind. of family is is actually portrayed in. the media and movies and books,

whatever. I mean, the good thing is like. our kids don't, you know, they don't see. us on television. They're watching the. news. Yeah. Um it's healthy. They they. helped write this book kind of in a way. So I started writing it two years ago. So they saw like early art, you know, I. would test run some stories on them, see. what story like piqu their interest. They're really into storytelling at bed. Actually, we read books, but we also. tell stories. Yeah. So I'll like tell. part of the story and they'll fill in. the gap. Uh so they were really helpful. uh with this one. I'm just hopeful that. we have more books like this in the. future. Every family looks different.

Uh, and one of the best parts about. reading this book to my kids is the fact. that they see themselves in it and they. love it. And at the end of the day, it's. not telling them that they're different. Um, and they're not going to bed. thinking about why they might be. different or what other families are. like. Um, that we just laughed together. reading a good story. Well, again, book. is called Pop is Coming Home. So, highly. recommend uh head to the post. description of this video and grab a. copy of it. And Chaston, finally, let's. finish off with this. Uh, if I'm not. mistaken, Pete is headed to Iowa on May.

13th. So, of course, with that comes the. obvious question. Uh, anything you want. to break on Pete's behalf here, or is. there a reason that he's going to Iowa? Or how are you dealing with the the. incoming questions about the prospect of. I think you just wanted to get the. breakfast pizza, man. That is a very uh. a very evasive uh evasive answer. I. think uh what he's doing with Vote Bets. is really cool. Um and that's what the. event is called. He's working with vote. vets to highlight some of the disastrous. decisions that have been made, especially for veterans out of this.

administration. Obviously, Iowa was. really good to our family. Um, and I. think he'll be happy to be amongst. friends. Um, but also we just need to. keep showing up in places uh where folks. might not expect to see Democrats. Um, especially at a national level right. now. U, but when you mentioned that, I. was like, crap, is he in Iowa? I can't I. can't stay on top of his schedule. So, yeah. Uh, yeah, I'm happy for him. I I. love seeing him out there. And as. someone whose heart hurts just seeing. what's going on in our country, it's um. it can be a difficult thing. Yeah. You.

know, um as the person who always wants. him home and who always wants him um. around the house and with the kids and. helping with the laundry and stuff, but. I um I'm also really proud of him and uh. really happy that he's out there. Well, I know as a part-time Fox News viewer, I. am also happy that he's out there. because when he when we in the rare. instances where he actually breaks. through the conservative media bubble. and in the instance where he went on uh. on um uh Andrew Schultz's show, Flagrant, I mean, which is one of the. top rated episodes um in the country.

right now. I mean, good on him for for. going through and figuring out new ways. to to to reach audiences that we haven't. uh reached before. So, Chass, again, appreciate your time. Appreciate it, man. Thank you.