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# Pete Buttigieg laughs off Tucker Carlson’s ‘Fake Gay’ claim: “My husband might revoke my gay card”
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/pete-buttigieg-laughs-off-tucker-carlsons-fake-gay-claim-my-husband-might-revoke-my-gay-card/
- Published: 2025-09-25T11:15:54.000Z
- Updated: 2025-09-25T11:15:54.000Z
- Author: Graham Robson
- Tags: North America

**Pete Buttigieg** has responded to conservative political commentator **Tucker Carlson**’s wild allegation that he is a “fake gay” man who lied about his sexuality to boost his political career.

Speaking on K**ara Swisher**’s podcast, the former US Transportation Secretary and one-time presidential hopeful dismissed the claim with a wry smile, saying: “I suppose it's a sign of progress that their idea of a conspiracy is that I'm actually secretly straight.”

The bizarre accusation was made by Carlson during a September episode of his podcast, where he claimed Buttigieg had been with a woman “like 20 minutes ago” and was chosen as a candidate simply because “it’s time for a gay guy”. Carlson even said he wanted to ask Buttigieg “very specific questions about gay sex” to test his authenticity.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/2025/09/Pete_and_Chasten_Buttigieg.jpg)

Pete and Chasten Buttigieg

Buttigieg, who has been married to his husband **Chasten** since 2018 and is a father to four-year-old twins **Penelope** and **Joseph**, found the notion both absurd and invasive.

“I cannot think of a topic I would like to discuss less with Tucker Carlson than that,” he said. “Even though I will admit some level of morbid curiosity on what in the hell he thinks… Actually, no.”

Swisher jokingly teased Buttigieg for not recognising a meme popular in the gay community, saying she was “starting to agree with Tucker Carlson on this fake gay thing.” Buttigieg responded with a laugh:

“Chasten, my husband, has threatened to have my gay card revoked so many times. This is just going to be the latest.”

The interview also touched on Buttigieg’s near-selection as **Kamala Harris**’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election. Harris revealed in her memoir that Buttigieg was her first choice, but she ultimately chose Minnesota Governor **Tim Walz** due to concerns about the optics of pairing her race and gender with Buttigieg’s sexuality.

“He would have been an ideal partner - if I were a straight white man,” Harris wrote. “Part of me wanted to say, ‘Screw it, let’s just do it.’ But knowing what was at stake, it was too big of a risk.”