'Tucker doesn't understand bottle feeding': Pete Buttigieg fires back at Fox ...

Pete Buttigieg fired back at Tucker Carlson's claim he was 'figuring out how to breast feed' during his paternity leave and insisted he was still available to respond to the supply chain crisis while looking after his twins with husband Chasten.

'I guess he [Tucker] just doesn't understand the concept of bottle feeding, let alone the concept of paternity leave', the Transportation Secretary told MSNBC's Deadline White House on Friday night.

'But what's really strange is that, you know, this is from a side of the aisle that used to claim the mantle of being pro-family, he added in the interview with Nicole Wallace.

'This attack is coming from a guy who has yet to explain his apparent approval for the assassination of Harvey Milk, so obviously we know there's some dark places where some of these attitudes come from', he said.

The White House  jumped to Buttigieg's defense after a report broke that the Transportation secretary has been on paid paternity leave since mid-August, as his department comes under intense scrutiny for supply chain issues. 

He insisted he was available around the clock to deal with the crisis and said he was 'privileged' to be able to take the leave.

Buttigieg said: 'Let's be clear. I have been fortunate and privileged to be able to have this leave, but I've still been available 24/7 on issues that can't wait, issues is that can't be delegated and major decisions and one of those issues I've been involved with throughout is, of course, that of supply chains. 

'You look at the effect of the pandemic and you also look at the incredible return of demand thanks to the president's leadership bringing back our economy.' 

Federal employees are offered up to 12 weeks' paid parental leave, though Cabinet secretaries are not included in that, meaning President Biden had to sign off on the leave. 

Buttigieg announced on Sept. 4 that he and his husband Chasten had adopted twins. 

'Proud to work in an Administration that is fighting to make paid leave a reality for everyone, and with people like @SecretaryPete who are role models on the importance of paid leave for new parents,' press secretary Jen Psaki wrote on Twitter.   

Meanwhile, Politico on Thursday revealed Buttigieg, 39, went on paternity leave in August and September after he and husband Chasten adopted twins Penelope Rose and Joseph August Buttigieg. 

A spokesman for the Department of Transportation said: 'For the first four weeks, he was mostly offline except for major agency decisions and matters that could not be delegated.

'He has been ramping up activities since then.'

The spokesman added that that Buttigieg will 'continue to take some time over the coming weeks to support his husband and take care of his new children.'

Buttigieg attended a meeting with Biden, business leaders and teamsters on Wednesday to work out a solution for supply chain bottlenecks. 

The belated announcement of the leave drew condemnation from some Republicans. 

In the past, some Cabinet secretaries have chosen to come back sooner. Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro took 'about a week or so' when his child was born, his spokesperson told Politico.  

Fox News host Tucker Carlson mocked Buttigieg for taking leave blockages in ports and a truck driver crisis have caused major issues in the supply chain, leaving shelves empty and causing shipping coasts to soar. 

'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.'

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., complained that Buttigieg was 'sitting at home.'

'We're in the middle of a transportation crisis, and Pete Buttigieg is sitting at home. Meanwhile, cargo boats are unable to dock and shelves are sitting empty. Pete needs to either get back to work or leave the Department of Transportation. It's time to put American families first,' she told Breitbart.  

'Transportation Secretary Buttigieg is on leave during a huge supply chain crisis. Secretary of State Blinken was on vacation while Afghanistan fell. Border Czar VP Harris is in hiding as the border is in chaos. This entire administration is missing in action — including Biden!' Rep. Jody Hice, R-Texas, wrote on Twitter.   

'Every parent deserves paternity leave, including @SecretaryPete. That should not be controversial,' Democratic Illinois Rep. Marie Newman wrote on Twitter.

'Pete Buttigieg was completely unqualified to serve as Secretary of Transportation,' Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., tweeted Monday. 'Now, Pete is absent during a transportation crisis that is hurting working-class Americans.'

It's not clear if he knew the secretary was on paternity leave or not, as the report publicizing the matter dropped Thursday. 

Twitter users had mixed reactions, though many were critical of the timing. 

'I think paternity leave is good. My husband will take 3-6 weeks depending on when I give birth next month. But 2 months in the middle of a national crisis you should be handling, when you have no actual medical recovery, is everything wrong with our government,' Jessica O'Donnell wrote. 

'Isn't the other uncomfortable fact for the administration that Buttigieg has been out on paternity leave for two months, _and no one noticed?_' NPR correspondent Jim Geraghty wrote on Twitter. 

'The thing about paternity leave is there isn't much for dad to do when the baby is a newborn, especially if mom is breastfeeding. His main role is to take care of mom as she recovers but of course that doesn't apply to Buttigieg so I'm not sure why he needs paternity leave at all,' wrote conservative commentator Matt Walsh. 

'People are saying dad needs paternity leave for 'bonding time.' Sure, a week or something is fine. But the baby isn't going to bond with dad much until he's a little older. And we shouldn't be paying cabinet secretaries to stay home for two months for 'bonding time' anyway.'

Others thought the criticism was directed at Buttigieg's sexuality. 

''Paternity leave is bad when it's a gay Biden official' is a pretty fricking cringe & terrible take from supposedly pro-family tradcons, to be honest,' wrote FEE contributor Brad Polumbo. 

'Paternity leave isn't bad, whether the person taking it is gay or straight. The problem here, is that the public wasn't informed of this for 2 months — we have multiple transportation crises going on, and it would be nice to hear from the USDOT leader about the ports for example,' Christina Pushaw, press secretary for Gov. Ron DeSantis, shot back. 

'The professional thing to do would have been for USDOT to announce in August that Buttigieg would be on paternity leave until (specific date). And his deputies should be front and center during this time; continuity is important in an agency.'

Buttigieg said he is 'over the moon' to be a dad, but it is 'the most demanding thing' he has ever done. 

'It's been wonderful. It's everything people tell you to expect and more,' Buttigieg, said on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' last week. 'I think the biggest thing that's surprised me is just how much joy there is even sometimes in the hard parts.'

He added, 'Don't get me wrong — it's the most demanding thing I think I've ever done, that Chasten and I have ever taken on, but it's just amazing.'

Before becoming a father, Buttigieg said he 'used to think of 5 a.m. as early.'

'Now I think of it as nap time if I'm lucky,' Buttigieg said. 'And yet, I catch myself grinning half the time… We're just over the moon.'

Meanwhile, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is calling on Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to testify before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, according to a Thursday report.

'There is more that the Department of Transportation can and should be doing to help address ongoing supply chain issues related to the pandemic,' Senator Cynthia Lummis told the Washington Examiner.

'We're well over a year into this, and I'm concerned that the Biden administration seems more focused on pushing Congress to massively expand the federal bureaucracy rather than using their existing authorities to help American businesses and consumers get back to normal,' the Senate Transportation Committee member added.

Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, added that the administration's actions finally addressing these issues is 'months late and more than a dollar short'.

He claimed the White House has been in 'denial' related to supply chain problems.

'We've heard a lot of talk and a lot of formation of task forces but nothing concrete to address this,' the Texas Republican said.

'My first advice to Secretary Buttigieg is stop making it worse and tackle the real issues,' Brady said, accusing Biden's team of making labor shortage issues worse by implementing a vaccine mandate for companies with more than 100 employees.

President Biden announced Wednesday a new plan to ease supply chain delays as container ships get stuck at ports with no trucks to take the containers. He called on the private sector to step up to help with bottlenecks.

The plan includes keeping the Port of Los Angeles operating 24/7. This specific port accounts for nearly half of all shipping containers entering the U.S.