Rep. Sarah McBride rips Democrats for not knowing how to combat anti-trans attacks: ‘Can't ignore these issues'
'I do think it was a problem that our party didn't explicitly respond to the anti-trans attacks. We can't ignore these issues. We can't just not respond and leave the narrative entirely to the Republicans,' McBride said when pressed by ex-DNC chair Jaime Harrison on his podcast.
Discussing how Democrats should respond to Republicans on trans issues, the lawmaker specifically noted President Donald Trump's ad during the 2024 campaign that depicted former Vice President Kamala Harris as being for 'they/them' and the president as being 'for you.'
McBride, a transgender lawmaker, said the party broadly should be focused on a 'diverse working class,' and should reject the idea of 'absolute purity politics.'
'I will say one of the reasons why, the sense that I have gotten from some Democrats as I talked to them, that you often see silence from Democrats in response to these attacks is because, to your point, they don't know how to respond, not because they don't know what they believe or how they feel, but because they feel like there is no way to respond in a way that doesn't result in everyone yelling at them,' McBride said during Harrison's podcast, 'At Our Table.'
McBride said Democrats didn't need perfect terminology or to embrace the 'maximalist position' on trans issues, but suggested acknowledging concerns about transgender people participating in sports.
Rep. Sarah McBride criticized the Democratic Party for staying silent on constant attacks from Republicans on trans issues.
At Our Table with Jaime Harrison
'You can grapple with concerns around, for instance, trans people participating in sports, acknowledge that there are very real questions out there. But who is best able to answer those questions about how to balance respect and fairness in women's sports? It's not 435 members of Congress who know nothing about women's sports and even less about trans people. It's the individual athletic associations that understand their sports the best,' McBride said.
The Democratic lawmaker said Republicans were trying to misdirect when they talk about trans people, accusing Trump of wanting to 'line the pockets' of corporations and wealthy people.
'And I think we have to be crystal clear about that while also pushing back against these attacks in ways that doesn't dismiss everyone with a question or a concern as a closed-minded bigot,' McBride said.
On Jaime Harrison's podcast, McBride said, 'We can't ignore these issues,' and that the Democratic Party has to fight back against anti-trans attacks.
Getty Images
McBride said in June that the party might have overplayed its hand regarding trans issues.
'I think that's an accurate reflection of the overplaying of the hand in some ways — that we as a coalition went to Trans 201, Trans 301, when people were still at a very much Trans 101 stage,' McBride told The New York Times' Ezra Klein in an interview.
The Delaware lawmaker said many of the cultural norms surrounding transgender people were likely premature for a lot of Americans.
'We became absolutist — not just on trans rights but across the progressive movement — and we forgot that in a democracy we have to grapple with where the public authentically is and actually engage with it. Part of this is fostered by social media,' McBride said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
8 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Gavin Newsom and Pete Buttigieg's Chances of Beating JD Vance in 2028: Poll
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A new poll shows potential 2028 presidential election matchups between Vice President JD Vance and prominent Democratic leaders as next year's midterm campaigns are on the horizon. Why It Matters Early polls, especially in crucial swing states, have gained significance as potential contenders for the 2028 presidential election begin to emerge. Even with the election still a few years away, polling could offer insight into candidate viability, voter sentiment and evolving party dynamics, particularly after the pivotal 2024 election cycle. What To Know In the poll released Tuesday by SoCal Strategies and sponsored by On Point Politics and Red Eagle Politics, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom secured 39 percent in a potential matchup with Vance, who landed 37 percent. The survey shows 23 percent were undecided in the matchup. In a race against former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Vance trailed with 37 percent of the vote compared to Buttigieg's 41 percent. The survey shows 21 percent were undecided. The poll surveyed 700 U.S. adults on August 18. "The survey was weighted by age, gender, race, education, and 2024 vote to match the Bonfire National Voter File," the pollster noted. ESPN host Stephen A. Smith also came close to Vance in the survey, receiving 35 percent of the vote compared to Vance's 37 percent. Previous polling has shown Vance as the clear GOP primary front-runner. The field is more crowded for Democrats, as former Vice President Kamala Harris, Newsom and Buttigieg all are early top contenders. Tuesday's poll also shows President Donald Trump's overall approval rating at 45 percent versus a disapproval rating of 48 percent. California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks on the state's redistricting plans at a news conference on August 14 in Los Angeles. (Photo by) California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks on the state's redistricting plans at a news conference on August 14 in Los Angeles. (Photo by) What People Are Saying Columbia University professor Robert Y. Shapiro, to Newsweek via email on Tuesday: "It is of course much too early to tell anything significant from this other than the 2028 election is likely to be close just like the last presidential elections. See the high percent undecided as well. "The data may suggest that Vance is not as strong a candidate as Donald Trump, but we would need to compare the hypothetical of Trump running for an imaginary third term against Newsom or Buttigieg. Regardless of what might happen in the midterm election, it looks like 2028 will be another nail biter..." Trump, while answering questions during a news conference on the 2028 Olympics, when directly asked if Vance is the successor to MAGA: "Well, I think most likely in all fairness, he's the vice president. I think Marco [Rubio] is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form. I also think we have incredible people, some of the people on the stage right here, so it's too early obviously to talk about it but certainly he's doing a great job, and he would be probably favored at this point." What Happens Next Pollsters and analysts were expected to release additional national and state-level surveys in the coming months as midterm campaigning ramps up.
Epoch Times
9 minutes ago
- Epoch Times
From Hunter to Hunted: Chinese Diplomat Liu Jianchao's Ironic Reckoning
Liu Jianchao, head of the Chinese Communist Party's International Department, arrives for a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 28, 2024. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images
New York Post
37 minutes ago
- New York Post
Southern border wall will be painted black to make it ‘even harder for people to climb,' DHS Secretary Kristi Noem says
If you see black, head back. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday that the entire southern border wall will be painted black, in an effort to make the structure too hot to scale when the sun is beating down on it. The new paint job for the roughly 700 miles of border wall along the US-Mexico boundary, which the administration aims to dramatically expand, was ordered by President Trump himself to further deter illegal crossings, Noem revealed during a press conference in front of a section of the barrier in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Advertisement 3 The idea is that black paint will absorb more heat, making it too hot for would-be illegal border-crossers to scale. Bloomberg via Getty Images 'It's tall, which makes it very, very difficult to climb, almost impossible. It also goes deep into the ground, which would make it very difficult, if not impossible, to dig under. And today we are also going to be painting it black,' the DHS secretary said of the steel structure behind her. 'That is specifically at the request of the president, who understands that in the hot temperatures down here, when something is painted black, it gets even warmer, and it will make it even harder for people to climb,' Noem continued. Advertisement 'So we are going to be painting the entire southern border wall black to make sure that we encourage individuals to not come into our country illegally,' she added. The coat of black paint will also help prevent the steel structure from rusting, Noem said. Additional technology, including cameras and sensors, will also be deployed to further thwart illegal border crossings, which have plunged to the lowest levels on record under Trump. It's unclear what the full cost of the paint job will be. Advertisement 3 Noem said the black paint would also help keep the steel wall from rusting. ABC News 3 The entire southern border wall will get the new paint coat, according to Noem. AFP via Getty Images A total of $46.5 billion was earmarked for border wall construction in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which the White House estimated would fund an additional 700 miles of wall along the 2,000-mile stretch of land and water that divides the US and Mexico. 'With the OBBB we will be able to finish the border wall system started under President Trump's first term. Due to an active procurement process to finish the wall it would be irresponsible to the American taxpayer to release the numbers as it may impact future bids,' a DHS spokesperson said when asked about the pricetag. Advertisement During his first term, Trump reportedly preferred border wall prototypes that had bollards painted 'flat black' to absorb heat and render them too hot to touch. The president, at the time, also reportedly told a group of officials and engineers that the border wall should have sharp spikes at the top to appear more intimidating.
