Pence says Pete Buttigieg's 'quarrel is with the First Amendment'

Vice President Mike Pence again responded to criticism from South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, this time accusing the 2020 Democrat of not respecting the First Amendment.

Buttigieg and Pence, both of whom are from Indiana and are devout Christians, have been trading barbs in recent days, with the South Bend mayor on Sunday saying he wishes the "Mike Pences of the world would understand" that if they have a problem with him for being gay, then "your quarrel, sir, is with my creator." Pence replied that Buttigieg "said some things that are critical of my Christian faith and about me personally" and that he "knows better."

But Pence went a bit further in a new interview with CNN airing Friday, saying that Buttigieg's "quarrel is with the First Amendment." The vice president said he "considered [Buttigieg] a friend" and that he doesn't "have a problem with him." But "I hope that Pete will offer more to the American people than attacks on my Christian faith," he continued, adding that Buttigieg would "do well to reflect on the importance of respecting the freedom of religion of every American."

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Buttigieg has pushed back on this line of criticism before, telling Ellen DeGeneres that he's a critic not of Pence's faith but of "bad policies" and of "religion being used as a justification to harm people." He also explained he's not interested in feuding with Pence but encouraged the the vice president to "clear this up" by coming out and saying it "shouldn't be legal to discriminate against anybody in this country for who they are." Brendan Morrow