On Sunday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg appeared on Fox News to defend his husband’s controversial tweet about Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Buttigieg earned glowing support from some on the far-lLeft… but others likely wanted him to be harsher on the Supreme Court justice.
On Wednesday, Kavanaugh was forced to leave a D.C. restaurant through the back door after a mob of protestors at the front door blocked him from leaving, Politico reported.
After the incident, Buttigieg’s husband Chasten mocked the justice.
“Sounds like he just wanted some privacy to make his own dining decisions,” he tweeted, presumably referring to Kavanaugh’s recent vote to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Secretary Buttigieg went on Fox News Sunday to try and defend the tweet and clashed with the moderator — but earned praise from liberals.
“Look, when public officials go into public life, we should expect two things. One, that you should always be free from violence, harassment, and intimidation,” Buttigieg said, when asked whether the tweet was appropriate.
“And two, you’re never going to be free from criticism or peaceful protest, people exercising their First Amendment rights. And that’s what happened in this case.”
The restaurant owner disagreed. “Politics, regardless of your side or views, should not trample the freedom at play of the right to congregate and eat dinner,” the owner told Politico.
Buttigieg dismissed these concerns, and he changed the subject to the Capitol riot, a notorious example of a protest turned violent.
“The justice never even came into contact with these protestors — reportedly didn’t see or hear them. And these protestors were upset because a right, an important right that a majority of Americans support, was taken away. Not only the right to choose, by the way. But this justice was part of the process of stripping away the right to privacy,” Buttigieg said.
“People are upset. They’re going to exercise their First Amendment rights. As long as that’s peaceful, that’s protected. Compare that, for example, to the reality that as a country right now, a mob summoned by the former president violently attacked the United States Capitol for the purpose of overthrowing the election and very nearly succeeded in preventing the peaceful transition of power. I think common sense can tell the difference.”
Fox News star Mike Emanuel followed up with a direct question. “But, as high-profile public figure, sir, are you comfortable with protestors protesting when you and your husband go to dinner at a restaurant?”
“Protesting peacefully outside in a public space? Sure,” Buttigieg said. “I can’t even tell you the number of spaces, venues, and scenarios where I’ve been protested. And the bottom line is this: Any public figure should always, always be free from violence, intimidation, and harassment but should never be free from people exercising their First Amendment rights.”
After Sunday’s appearance on Fox News, Buttigieg earned glowing praise from the far-Left.
“If you’re going on Fox, this is how to do it,” one commentator tweeted. Another added, “How did Democrats land in a position where the secretary of transportation is the only competent spokesman for the administration?”
Still, other Twitter users likely wanted Buttigieg to go further, and they encouraged a mob to storm Kavanaugh’s home like in Sri Lanka.
Take a look —
https://twitter.com/KevinSixx13/status/1545826849321676800
Sounds like he just wanted some privacy to make his own dining decisions. https://t.co/pAUiYqxIHT
— Chasten Glezman Buttigieg (@Chasten) July 8, 2022
https://twitter.com/JHWeissmann/status/1546203130353913857
The Horn editorial team