Buttigiegs' Halloween Post Brings Both Smiles, Concern

2-month-old Joseph August, who was a traffic cone for Halloween, was in hospital for the holiday
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 1, 2021 8:54 AM CDT
One of Buttigiegs' Twins Is 'Having a Rough Go'
In this Feb. 10, 2020, file photo, Pete Buttigieg, right, and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, are seen in Milford, NH.   (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

A Halloween surprise from the Buttigieg family drew both likes and expressions of support after an Instagram post by the transportation secretary's husband. "Happy Halloween from these #twinfrastructure safety advocates!" Chasten Buttigieg wrote, with one of his accompanying pictures showing Pete Buttigieg as he held one of their 2-month-old twins, who was dressed up as an orange-and-white traffic cone. The second photo, however, was the one that raised eyebrows, as it showed the dads in a hospital room, holding baby Joseph August, decked out in said traffic cone garb.

"As you can see, we're spending this Halloween in the hospital," Chasten Buttigieg noted. "Gus has been having a rough go of it but we're headed in the right direction." He didn't elaborate on why the baby needed to be hospitalized, but thanked medical staff for helping care for "our two little pumpkins as they've grown stronger, healthier, and cuter." It's not clear if the baby in the first photo was the Buttigiegs' son or his twin sister, Penelope Rose.

People reports that Pete Buttigieg showed up on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, talking about the twins' infrastructure-themed Halloween getup and how it was his husband's idea, but with no mention of Gus' issues. The transportation secretary recently talked to the network's Jake Tapper and did mention that the twins were preemies, after Fox News' Tucker Carlson had ridiculed him for taking paternity leave.

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Fans famous and otherwise sent well wishes the family's way on Chasten Buttigieg's post. "So sorry about the hospital but happy Gus is getting great care!" actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley wrote. Pete Buttigieg, for his part, posted a jack-o'-lantern emoji. As for the infrastructure theme behind the babies' outfits, it's a nod to the transportation secretary's job: USA Today notes he's been key in the Biden administration's push on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that may see a vote in the House on Tuesday. (More Pete Buttigieg stories.)

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