Tucker Carlson has accused Democratic politician Pete Buttigieg of being “a fake gay guy” in a bizarre conspiracy theory rant.
The one-time Fox News star said he wants to ask Buttigieg “very specific questions about gay sex” to prove his sexuality.
The alt-right podcaster made the bizarre comments Wednesday during a conversation with conservative commentator Michael Knowles on his podcast The Tucker Carlson Show.
Carlson, 56, made the accusation when Knowles brought up Buttigieg, 43, as an example of liberal attitudes in politics being a response to cultural “incentives.”
“I’ll give you Pete Buttigieg,” Knowles began, before Carlson jumped in with “The fake gay guy?”
“I have a friend who thinks he’s a fake gay,” Knowles added.
“My gay producer was always like ‘he’s not gay.’ He was with a girl like 20 minutes ago and like he wants to be the Democratic nominee, it’s like ‘Time for a gay guy!’” Carlson said.
Buttigieg came out as gay in 2015, when he was mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Since then, he went on to marry his partner, Chasten Buttigieg, in 2018 and the pair adopted two children.
The former transportation secretary also made history as the first openly gay Cabinet secretary confirmed by the Senate. During Donald Trump’s first term, MAGA figure Ric Grenell, who is now running the Kennedy Center, was a member of the Cabinet as acting director of national intelligence. He was never nominated for Senate approval.
Carlson alluded to the suggesting that Buttigieg had faked his sexuality in order to advance his career, saying “It’s suffering for your art.”
Knowles replied, “If all the incentives were not to be like America-hating, gay, liberal, Pete Buttigieg, I am convinced–look this is purely my gut telling me this–he would be like waving the stars in bars, like whatever incentive were there he would go to it.”
The MAGA ally also admitted that he tried—and failed—to get Buttigieg to agree to an interview where he would ask invasive questions about his sexuality.
“He’s never agreed to interview, but I’m gonna ask him like some very specific questions about gay sex and see if he can even answer. I doubt he even knows!” Carlson said.
This is not the first time the right-wing podcaster has accused Buttigieg of faking his sexuality. In a podcast episode on July 2024 with Ari Shaffir, Carlson peddled the same accusations. The podcaster admitted he got backlash for his statements, but defended his statement saying he was not being homophobic.
“I’m not against gays, I’m just saying he’s not one,” said Shaffir, a sentiment Carlson affirmed with “That’s what I said!”
The Daily Beast has reached out to Buttigieg’s team for comment.
