Karen Pence responds to Buttigieg: ‘You shouldn’t be attacked’ for your religious beliefs

Karen Pence, the wife of Vice President Pence, said Tuesday that people “shouldn’t be attacked for what your religious beliefs are,” responding to recent comments from South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, is openly gay and on Sunday slammed the vice president for opposing same-sex marriage, saying his marriage to his husband has brought him “closer to God.”

{mosads}”Speaking only for myself, I can tell you that if me being gay was a choice, it was a choice that was made far, far above my pay grade,” Buttigieg said.

“And that’s the thing I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand,” he continued. “If you’ve got a problem with who I am, your problem is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator.”

{mosads}Karen Pence, speaking Tuesday on The Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox Radio to promote a book she wrote with her daughter, took issue with Buttigieg’s remarks, though also noting the mayor and her husband “have always had a great relationship.”

“I think in our country we need to understand you shouldn’t be attacked for what your religious beliefs are and I think kids need to learn that at a young age that this is OK, what faith people have; we don’t attack them for their faith,” she said.

Buttigieg has also said the idea that God wanted Pence to be vice president gives God “very little credit.”

Karen Pence also said in the radio interview that Buttigieg’s comments about her husband are helping the 2020 Democratic candidate “get some notoriety.”