Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was separated from his four-year-old twins after an anonymous report alleged he posed a danger to them. Michigan State Police and child protective services responded to Buttigieg's home in Traverse City, conducting forensic interviews with the children and instructing him not to be alone with them until the investigation was complete.
Buttigieg described the 24-hour ordeal as "among the darkest hours of my life" in a Substack post. He revealed that the anonymous caller claimed he had confessed to violent crimes during a chance meeting in Alabama years earlier—a claim Buttigieg denied, stating he had never been to the town where the alleged encounter occurred.
Michigan State Police confirmed the report was false, and Child Protective Services found no evidence to support the allegation. Buttigieg said authorities believed the report was politically motivated and would not be referred to prosecutors.
The incident occurred shortly after Buttigieg shared Father’s Day photos of his family online, raising concerns the report may have been timed to coincide with the post. Buttigieg, who is widely viewed as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028, has faced anti-LGBTQ attacks throughout his career.
Buttigieg expressed outrage at the ordeal, stating, "I cannot describe the mix of rage and sadness that I feel at the idea that someone brought our children into this." He emphasized that his twins, aged four, "do not know or care what a Democrat or a Republican is."
The false report comes amid heightened concerns about political violence, including recent "swatting" incidents targeting Indiana lawmakers.