A False Report Separated Buttigieg From His Twins for 24 Hours
Pete Buttigieg, former U.S. Transportation Secretary and a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, said an anonymous hoax report forced Michigan State Police and Child Protective Services to investigate his Traverse City home. The false allegation separated him from his four-year-old twins for 24 hours.
Buttigieg, who lives in Traverse City with his husband Chasten Buttigieg and their twin children, detailed the incident in a Substack post published Friday, June 26. He described what he called a "politically motivated hoax" that he compared to "swatting" but with CPS instead of a SWAT team.
What Happened at the Family Home
According to Buttigieg's account, a Michigan State Police officer and a CPS worker arrived at his home after receiving an anonymous report alleging he posed a danger to his children. At the time, Chasten and the twins were out running errands. Authorities waited for them to return before taking action.
The officer and CPS worker told Buttigieg that the children would undergo forensic interviews the following day. He was instructed not to be alone with his children until after those interviews were complete. The twins stayed at their grandparents' house during the separation.
"The twenty-four hours until they returned are among the darkest hours of my life," Buttigieg wrote.
The next day, authorities told Buttigieg the nature of the allegation. An anonymous caller claimed she had met Buttigieg at a conference in Alabama years earlier and that he had confessed to "unspeakable violent crimes." The caller believed his children were still at risk.
Buttigieg told investigators he had never been to the town where the alleged meeting took place.
Police and CPS Determined the Report Was False
Michigan State Police confirmed the incident to multiple outlets. In a statement to The Associated Press, the department said they received an "anonymous report" and that state police and CPS "responded and determined the report was false."
Michigan State Police spokeswoman Shanon Banner added in a statement to the Detroit Free Press:
"False reports are dangerous and divert law enforcement officers and Child Protective Services workers from responding to legitimate emergencies and protecting vulnerable children and families."
Buttigieg said the investigating officer told him the complaint would not be referred to prosecutors and that the officer believed the report was politically motivated. CPS found nothing to substantiate the allegation.
The Political Context
Buttigieg noted the incident occurred during Pride Month and shortly after he shared photos of his family on social media for Father's Day.
"It's not lost on me that this happened soon after we shared photos of our family on social media for Father's Day," Buttigieg said. "Or that this occurred during a month meant to make families like ours feel welcome and safe."
The former Transportation Secretary has faced anti-LGBTQ+ attacks throughout his political career. He drew criticism from some Republicans for taking paternity leave after he and Chasten adopted their twins while he served in the Biden administration. Buttigieg has also faced death threats during his public service.
"I've been through political attacks in office, death threats in public life, and rocket attacks in war (as an officer in the Navy Reserve, who served in Afghanistan)," he wrote. "But this is the ugliest thing that has happened to me since my career in service began."
Bipartisan Response
The incident drew support from across the political spectrum. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a Republican from Wisconsin, responded to Buttigieg's post on X, saying the incident "has happened to our family" and that he agreed it was "horrible."
"I hope they find the folks that did this and send them to prison," Van Orden wrote.
Buttigieg said he intends to pursue every legal avenue available to hold whoever filed the report accountable. Michigan State Police declined to say whether they have identified the anonymous caller.
Why It Matters for Traverse City and Beyond
Swatting incidents targeting public officials have surged in recent years. Buttigieg's case highlights how anonymous reporting systems designed to protect whistleblowers can be exploited to weaponize child welfare investigations against political targets.
"If it can happen to us, it can happen to any family," Buttigieg wrote.
The families least equipped to fight back are those without lawyers, public platforms, or political connections. In Traverse City, the incident has drawn national attention to the community where the former cabinet secretary raised his family after leaving Washington.
Buttigieg moved to northwest Michigan to be closer to Chasten's parents after taking the transportation secretary job. The couple adopted their twins during his time in the Biden administration.