Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was the target of an anonymous report that police determined was false, which forced him to spend a night away from his four-year-old twins.

Incident Details

According to Buttigieg, a Michigan State Police officer and a child protective services worker came to his home after receiving an anonymous report alleging he posed a danger to his children. Authorities arranged forensic interviews for his twins and instructed him not to be alone with them until the interviews were complete.

The following day, investigators told Buttigieg that an anonymous caller claimed he had confessed years earlier to violent crimes during a chance meeting in Alabama. However, Buttigieg stated he had never been to the town where the meeting allegedly occurred. Police told him the allegation would not be referred to prosecutors, while Child Protective Services found nothing to substantiate the report.

Buttigieg, who is widely viewed as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028, has long been the target of anti-LGBTQ attacks. He wrote that the incident occurred soon after he shared photos of his family online for Father’s Day.

Broader Implications

Public officials from across the political spectrum have increasingly been targeted by swatting, which is the act of making a false call to emergency services to prompt a response at a particular address. The goal is to get authorities, particularly a SWAT team, to show up.

Buttigieg said the incident reflected a broader escalation in political attacks, stating that it was among the darkest hours of his life and that he feels politics has become more like bloodsport.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.