WASHINGTON — Pete Buttigieg and his family were targeted by a swatting hoax involving a false report to Child Protective Services. Buttigieg called it a "politically motivated hoax" and said it was "symptomatic of where we're at" in American politics.
"Everyone knows politics is ugly these days," Buttigieg said. He added that while politics has "always been ugly," it now "feels more and more like bloodsport" — a trend he said cannot continue.
He traced the escalation to roughly 11 years ago, when "the ugliest things have become normalized." Buttigieg said figures like President Trump are "as much symptom as cause" of the current political climate.
Swatting involves making false reports to emergency services to dispatch armed police to a victim's home. The tactic strains police resources and creates immediate danger for targeted individuals and their families.
Buttigieg said such incidents corrode "the basic norms that should protect all Americans, regardless of party."
The incident drew condemnation from across the political spectrum. Public figures from both parties denounced the attack, with some calling politically motivated swatting "horrifying" and "too common in America."
Leaders from both parties said such acts "cannot be normalized."
