Chasten Buttigieg calls out Sean Duffy for family Daytona 500 flight

Chasten Buttigieg, who is married to former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, called out Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy for taking two of his sons on a presidential delegation to the Daytona 500 this past weekend.

Duffy, a former Fox News host, posted a video Sunday to the social platform X with his sons, Patrick and John-Paul, right before they boarded Air Force One, which was headed to the Daytona 500.

“We’re about to get on Air Force One. I got Patrick and John-Paul. There’s just the back end of it,” Duffy said in the video, gesturing to the back of the plane. “Heading up to Daytona for the 500. Suit and tie. Beautiful day. Hopefully, the rain stays out.”

“But these guys, first time, Air Force One. The president is about to get here, so we’re going to get on, get rolling to Daytona. ... It’s going to be great,” he added.

In a post on X, Chasten Buttigieg responded to the video, recalling the blowback his husband faced when he led a presidential delegation to the Invictus Games, a sporting competition for wounded veterans, and took Chasten with him.

“I remember when Fox News absolutely melted when a certain Secretary took a family member on a presidential delegation,” Chasten Buttigieg wrote. “Let's see how this one plays out.”

In 2023, Fox News Digital reported that the Transportation secretary at the time took his husband on the presidential delegation to the Invictus Games and that they flew in a private military aircraft.

Pete Buttigieg at the time pointed out that diplomatic protocol has long been that the official is accompanied by their spouse and said he did not reimburse the cost of his husband’s travel. Buttigieg suggested there was a double standard applied to him and his husband.

"Before me, it was the Secretary of the Army under President Trump who took that trip with his wife," Pete Buttigieg said when asked in a Fox News interview about the reporting. "Before that, it was Mrs. Trump as first lady who went to the Invictus Games. Before that, Mrs. Obama did the same thing."

"And I guess the question on my mind is, if no one's raising questions about why Secretary Esper and his wife led that delegation — and as well, they should have — then why is it any different when it's me and my husband?" Buttigieg continued at the time.

The Hill has reached out to the Department of Transportation for comment.

Topics

2025 Daytona 500 odds, NASCAR predictions: Best bets by proven racing expert who called last year's winner

SportsLine's Steven Taranto, who nailed William Byron's Daytona 500 win at 16-1 last year, reveals his picks for the Daytona 500 2025 from Daytona International Speedway
CBS Sports - 4d
Starting lineup for the 67th Daytona 500

Chase Briscoe will lead the 2025 field to green in The Great American Race.
Yahoo Sports - 6d
Castroneves turns to provisional for Daytona 500

Helio Castroneves was involved in an early accident but will race in the Daytona 500 under a new rule that allows for a "world-class driver" to make the field.
ESPN - 6d
Trump to attend Daytona 500 on Sunday

President Trump is set to attend the Daytona 500 on Sunday, a week after he attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans, a White House official told The Hill. The president will travel to his Mar-a-Lago ...
The Hill - 6d
Duffy: FAA firings fewer than 400 out of ‘staggering’ 45,000 staffers

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy seemingly defended the recent firings at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Monday, arguing that the probationary employees who were let go made up ...
The Hill - 2d
Hamlin, Toyotas pace Daytona 500 first practice

Denny Hamlin led a trio of Toyota drivers -- the manufacturer claimed five of the top six spots -- in Wednesday's opening practice for the Daytona 500.
ESPN - Feb. 12
How to watch the 2025 NASCAR Daytona 500

Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the the 67th annual Daytona 500.
Yahoo Sports - Feb. 12
Starting lineups for Daytona 500 Duel qualifying races

Here is the field will be ordered at the green flag in the two 60-lap events at Daytona International Speedway.
Yahoo Sports - Feb. 13
Trump takes laps on Daytona 500 speedway in the Beast

President Trump took laps on the Daytona 500 speedway in his motorcade nicknamed “The Beast.” Trump addressed the drivers before the race, driving inside the racetrack’s interior. “This is your ...
The Hill - 3d