Pete and Chasten Buttigieg Get to Bring Their Twins Home

It’s been a trying few weeks for Pete and Chasten Buttigieg, to say the least.

After the birth of their twins, Gus and Penelope, the newborns caught a respiratory virus. While it wasn’t COVID-19, it’s the kind of virus that would be incredibly scary for a premature baby to catch. Penelope recovered quickly, but Gus continued to get worse.

While the two dads were taking care of their newborn children, a time that’s supposed to be celebratory but had quickly turned into a nightmare, Pete was receiving criticism from the Republican Party over problems related to supply chain demands. It should have stopped there, but in classic GOP fashion, the Republican Party had to make it homophobic, mocking Pete and Chasten for taking “maternity leave” to “figure out how to breastfeed.”

Still, the Secretary of Transportation handled it with grace, calling the backlash “unfortunate,” but adding that “maybe some good comes out of it too, because it’s helped us have a conversation about parental leave.”

During his leave, Pete was getting up at 3:00 a.m. to work on the Biden administration’s infrastructure plan, which passed on November 5.

Despite homophobic backlash, terror over whether their newborn son would survive, and the ongoing worry over international trade, Pete was able to help pass the infrastructure bill. And now, after three weeks of hospital stays, the Buttigiegs are finally able to bring their twins home.

In speaking with CNN, the Secretary of Transportation updated the public on Gus’s good health. “He’s eating; he’s smiling, and we’re just so thankful for the great medical care that he got and the love and prayers and support that came our way during a tough stretch.”

As for the criticism in regards to supply-chain demands, Pete had this to say: “The best way to end a pandemic-related shortage is to end the pandemic, and that’s why the vaccine push is so important.”

In other words, stop crying about “the war on Christmas,” and start getting vaccinated.