Pete Buttigieg, the former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, and his family were subjected to a swatting incident and a false report to child protective services, according to multiple news outlets. The fabricated CPS complaint prompted an official investigation into the family, which was ultimately found to be without merit.
Swatting — the practice of making false emergency reports to dispatch law enforcement to a target's location — and fraudulent CPS reports have increasingly been used to harass and intimidate public figures and private individuals alike. The incidents involving Buttigieg, who has two adopted children with his husband Chasten, follow similar attacks against other politicians and celebrities in recent years.
Authorities are investigating the origin of the false reports. Swatting is a federal crime and can carry significant prison sentences, particularly when it results in injury or is carried out as part of a targeted harassment campaign. CPS officials confirmed the complaint against the Buttigieg family was unsubstantiated.
Buttigieg was a prominent figure in the Biden administration and ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. He and his husband have spoken publicly about their experience as a same-sex couple raising children, making them visible targets for bad-faith actors. The family has not issued detailed public comment beyond acknowledging the incidents occurred.
Left-Leaning Emphasis
- NPR and The Guardian emphasize the broader context of targeted harassment against LGBTQ+ public figures, framing the incident as part of a hostile political climate.
- The Guardian highlights the vulnerability of same-sex parents to bad-faith institutional complaints, suggesting the CPS mechanism was weaponized.
- Left-leaning outlets draw connections to similar harassment campaigns against other Democratic politicians and activists.
Right-Leaning Emphasis
- The Hill frames the story in more neutral, procedural terms, focusing on the mechanics of the swatting and CPS investigation without broader political commentary.
- Center and right-adjacent outlets are more measured in attributing political motivation to the harassment, noting that swatting affects figures across the political spectrum.