Pete Buttigieg fears his marriage might be in danger if Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed for Supreme Court
Pete Buttigieg hugs his husband Chasten after announcing he was ending his campaign to be the Democratic nominee for president. (Scott Olson/Getty)
Pete Buttigieg has suggested that his marriage could be in danger if Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed for the Supreme Court.
Speaking on Fox News on Sunday (October 18), Buttigieg suggested that the 2015 ruling that made same-sex marriage the law of the land is among many that could be overturned if Barrett is confirmed, giving the Supreme Court a solid conservative majority.
“We don’t want to allow this president to change the subject, which is what they are always doing,” Buttigieg, who married his husband Chasten in 2018, told host Chris Wallace.
“There are all kinds of interesting questions on the future of the American judiciary, but right now as we speak the pre-existing condition coverage of millions of Americans might depend on what is about to happen in the senate with regard to this justice.
“My marriage might depend on what is about to happen in the Senate with regard to this justice,” he added.
Pete Buttigieg becomes Fox News star.
The interview was the latest in a string of Fox News appearances Pete Buttigieg has made on behalf of the Biden-Harris campaign in recent weeks.
The former presidential hopeful has fuelled viral views as his dry sarcasm and calm, coherent dissection of Republican strategy proves popular among the typically right-wing audience.
Buttigieg has been particularly critical of the rushed process to confirm Amy Coney Barrett, whose opening statement he called “a pathway to judicial activism cloaked in judicial humility”.
He confirmed his fears for same-sex marriage in an interview with CNN last week. “My main concern is that they seem to be wanting to put marriage equality back on the table,” he told host Chris Cuomo.
“This was a move that America made, a move forward that we made five years ago, in the belief that there was no going back.
“And yet, we saw two justices, on the conservative majority, that’s already seated on the court, just last week, write in ways that made it sound like they’re ready to go back on that,” he said, referring to justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito’s attack on the same-sex marriage ruling.
“And just imagine, if this doesn’t already affect you, and you’re watching this at home, imagine how you would feel, watching this committee proceeding, if you knew that your marriage only existed by a one-vote margin on this court.”
Barrett remained tight-lipped through her confirmation hearing and refused to comment on the Supreme Court’s landmark rulings protecting LGBT+ rights, because she “can’t grade precedent”. She later said her refusal was “certainly not indicating disagreement”.
