Pete Buttigieg and homosexuality are living rent-free in House Speaker Mike Johnson's head.
The newly minted House Speaker Johnson from Louisiana who took over the reins after his predecessor Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted is credited with penning the foreword of author Scott McKay's book, titled "The Revivalist Manifesto" that reportedly propagates debunked conspiracy theories and homophobic leanings.
It also appears to target Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg by calling the former Indiana mayor "Gay Mayor Pete Buttigieg" and a “queer choice” for Biden's cabinet position, according to CNN.
When asked during an appearance on CNN's "Out Front" with Erin Burnett about his response to the commentary in this book, Buttigieg was appalled by how low the attacks go to knock his character.
"It seems like they just can't think of anything else," he said. "There is no discussion of what we actually did."
The book's foreword glowingly supports the author and the work product.
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“Scott McKay presents a valuable and timely contribution with The Revivalist Manifesto because he has managed here to articulate well what millions of conscientious, freedom-loving Americans are sensing,” according to his 300-word foreword from 2022.
CNN reported that Johnson also actively promoted the book on his social media and hosted McKay during a podcast.
A Johnson spokesman told the outlet in a statement that the Speaker actually "never read the passages" in question and that he "strongly disagrees with" them.
"He wrote the foreword as a favor to a friend, supportive of the general theme of the book but not as an endorsement of all the opinions expressed.”
What gets Buttigieg the most is that Johnson is now in a powerful position.
"You have somebody who has been taken seriously by the Speaker of the House of the United States suggesting that the reason that we had supply chain problems in the rebound from COVID wasn't because of the factories in China shutting down and then sending their ships here all at once — it was because the Secretary of Transportation is married to a guy and not to a woman."
"They just can't seem to let go of this."
Burnett cited numerous comments made by Johnson over time.
In 2008, he is quoted as saying, "Homosexual behavior is something that you do, it's not something that you are."
Last month, Johnson said: "One of four students in the United States identify with something other than straight — we're losing the country."
"He seems fixated on it," Buttigieg said. "And it is really troubling for millions of Americans, including me and my husband, and this is, again, not just some fringe radical member of Congress."
