Fox News host Tucker Carlson made homophobic and misogynist remarks about Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg taking paternity leave after the birth of his twins, Penelope Rose and Joseph August.
Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana went on paid paternity leave in mid-August to spend time with his twins and support his husband, Chasten.
While away, Tucker Carlson decided to share his bigoted thoughts about his absence:
"Pete Buttigieg has been on leave from his job since August after adopting a child."
"Paternity leave, they call it, trying to figure out how to breastfeed."
"No word on how that went."
It was a totally unnecessary, hateful remark in a rant about inflation and supply chain issues.
Tucker Carlson mocks Pete Buttigieg for taking paternity leave: "Paternity leave, they call it, trying to figure out how to breastfeed, no word on how that went."pic.twitter.com/zFnp6uSser— nikki mccann scream\u00edrez \ud83d\udc7b (@nikki mccann scream\u00edrez \ud83d\udc7b) 1634256697
Of course, Twitter was not going to let Tucker get away with his latest display of bigotry and ignorance.
Tucker Carlson was picked last for every game of kickball and now we all have to pay the price for it.— The joke-police (@The joke-police) 1634261109
I highly doubt he was even picked.\nI think the team just played with one less player— Manuel De La Cruz Jr (@Manuel De La Cruz Jr) 1634261713
Two of my male colleagues\u2019 wives gave birth during the pandemic and both of them were entitled to and took 6 weeks paternity leave. It is not about learning to breast feed. It is to bond with your new baby and to adjust to your new family situation. Party of \u201cFamily Values\u201d— MomOf4 (@MomOf4) 1634266476
What I would have given to have had my husband home for more than a week w my 2 kids. I\u2019m glad more companies offer it now. I went out of my mind!— not-so Starving artist \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83e\udd1c\ud83c\udffc\ud83e\udd1b\ud83c\udffe\ud83c\udfa8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb\u200d\ud83c\udfa8 (@not-so Starving artist \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83e\udd1c\ud83c\udffc\ud83e\udd1b\ud83c\udffe\ud83c\udfa8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb\u200d\ud83c\udfa8) 1634295945
Mock taking any time off from work\nAttack any mandatory time off programs\n\nMock the sick\nAttack any health care programs\n\nDemand maximum defense budgets.\nAttack spending pennies of that on our own people.\n\nDo you people on the right seriously think these people are on YOUR side?— Brett doesn't have time for your shenanigans (@Brett doesn't have time for your shenanigans) 1634282336
In 1978 I took 10 days off with the birth of my son. The firm had never heard of it before. I wasn\u2019t fired. We all survived. 1978 and we still have to put up with this crapola? No regrets.— Jack Kukowski (@Jack Kukowski) 1634263498
My hubs took off a single week for our son's birth, starting the day I went into labor, Dec 29. On December 30, not 10 hours after I gave birth, he was called in to fix, get this, a leaky pipe. Not 1 person in a 100 mile radius was asked to cover & he was threatened with firing— Randi (@Randi) 1634265910
Thought it was important to bring this back as an actual screenshot from his showpic.twitter.com/GNohOBCMYr— jfs1001 (@jfs1001) 1634269922
Tucker Carlson would attack a person for wearing the wrong shade of blue. He's there for the attention— Andrew M (@Andrew M) 1634298088
The Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, President Trump signed into law in 2019, gives fed workers access to up to 12 wks of paid time off for the birth or adoption of a new child. \n\nIf KKKarlson doesn't like the law he should contact his representative. Just like all of us.— ALT US INS (OG Immigration) (@ALT US INS (OG Immigration)) 1634271602
Fox offers two months paid paternity leave to its employees— yes (@yes) 1634259841
.@TuckerCarlson I took two weeks paternity leave after the birth of each of my kids. Not all of us were raised among the uber-wealthy who ship their kids off to boarding school. Some of us take time off to care for our kids.— Bradley P. Moss (@Bradley P. Moss) 1634263290
It's possible Carlson forgot Fox News offers their employees paid paternity leave and his coworkers have taken advantage of it.
Fox & Friends First co-host Todd Piro took a six-week paternity leave to spend time with his daughter. Fox News host Jesse Watters took a short leave after the birth of his child.
In April, Watters even shared his opinion's changed after taking time off:
"Now I am pro-paternity."
"I used to mock people for taking paternity, I used to think it was a big ruse."
"But now, ya know, I wish I could take six weeks."
Tucker Carlson's @FoxNews colleague, @ToddPiro, in April, after he took six weeks of leave to help care for his infant daughter:\n\n"I cannot thank Fox enough for providing all fathers who work here with such a generous paternity leave." \n\nhttps://fxn.ws/3aGJfEK\u00a0https://twitter.com/NikkiMcR/status/1448803712344985600\u00a0\u2026— David Gura (@David Gura) 1634261599
It's not the first time Carlson has shown his bigoted views about the LGBTQ+ community.
He tried to tear down Oregon Democratic Governor Kate Brown for her bisexuality when criticizing her mask mandate.
Carlson had an entry from his college yearbook showing he supported the homophobic killer Dan White for the murder of Harvey Milk.
And to top it off, he's claimed that transgender people are a threat to the "perpetuation of the species."
crude homophobia on the most-watched cable news showhttps://twitter.com/NikkiMcR/status/1448803712344985600\u00a0\u2026— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1634260575
Tucker Carlson mocked Pete Buttigieg for being a gay parent. Any remaining Fox News advertisers should be destroyed for their embrace homophobia.https://twitter.com/nikkimcr/status/1448803712344985600\u00a0\u2026— John Aravosis \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@John Aravosis \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1634265672
Somehow, after all the homophobia, transphobia, and racism Carlson has exhibited and promoted on his show, Fox News has yet to truly be held accountable.
@coyleray/Instagram