Traverse City, Michigan - Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently detailed how his two small children were briefly taken from him and his partner during a swatting incident.
On Friday, Buttigieg published a post to Substack, explaining that while most swatting incidents involve a fake 911 call to get police or a SWAT team to a specific location, his saw Child Protective Services (CPS) sent to his Michigan home.
The CPS agents informed him they had arranged a forensic interview for the four-year-old twins the following day. He was not allowed to attend the interview, and he was forbidden to be alone with them until it was conducted.
After waiting 24-hours – a period he described as "among the darkest hours of my life" – Buttigieg was finally informed that someone had told law enforcement that he'd confessed to "unspeakable violent crimes." The person had expressed serious concerns about his children's safety.
The former Indiana mayor gained national attention in 2020 when he became the first openly gay politician to run for president. He is now considered a top Democratic contender for the 2028 race.
Buttigieg noted in his post that the call came after he and his partner publicly shared a family photo on Father's Day, and during Pride Month, which is "meant to make families like ours feel welcome and safe."