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

Details of the Incident

According to Buttigieg, a Michigan State Police officer and a child protective services worker came to his home in Traverse City after they received 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.

Buttigieg described the 24-hour ordeal in a Substack post as ‘among the darkest hours of my life.’ Michigan State Police said in a statement that they received an ‘anonymous report’ and that they and child protective services ‘responded and determined the report was false.’

Buttigieg said investigators told him the anonymous caller claimed he had confessed years earlier to violent crimes during a chance meeting in Alabama. Buttigieg said he had never been to the town where the meeting allegedly occurred.

Reaction and Context

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.

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. Buttigieg said the incident reflected a broader escalation in political attacks.

Original reporting: WPBF (Treasure Coast / Hearst) — read the source article.