Buttigieg, once polite to the vice president, hardens his rhetoric

WASHINGTON — On the campaign trail, Democratic presidential contender Pete Buttigieg blasts Vice President Mike Pence’s cultural and religious conservatism. But as the mayor of Indiana’s fourth largest city, his tone toward the state’s Republican former governor was more muted.

During the four years in which they overlapped in Indiana politics, Buttigieg, the South Bend mayor, had a cordial relationship with Pence. The two collaborated on economic development issues. Buttigieg presented Pence with a South Bend promotional T-shirt that said “I (heart) SB.” And at ceremonial events, Pence would lavish Buttigieg with praise.

The relationship between the two men has come under scrutiny as Buttigieg’s campaign becomes a surprise hit, raking in $7 million during the first quarter. As he formally launches his White House campaign on Sunday, the gay mayor has emerged as a celebrated voice for LGBT equality and religious tolerance. And Buttigieg has hardened his rhetoric toward Pence, using the vice president as a foil representing an oppressive opposition.

At a recent LGBT event, Buttigieg spoke of the importance of his marriage to his husband, Chasten, and framed his sexuality in religious terms.

“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: that if you’ve got a problem with who I am, your problem is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator.”

He has previously called Pence’s religious conservatism a “fanatical” ideology.

By Buttigieg’s own admission in his campaign memoir, his relationship with Pence is “complicated.” In an interview with CNBC that aired on Thursday, Pence said they had a “great working relationship” and criticized the...