Democratic rep calls on party to tolerate dissenting ideas on controversial issues
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., urged the Democratic Party to be more tolerant of dissenting opinions on controversial issues — such as transgender athletes competing in women's sports — during a conversation with Bill Maher on "Real Time" on Friday.
Moulton argued that one of the Democratic Party's biggest problems is its intolerance of internal dissent, which has led to Republicans winning over the public on hot-button issues.
The Massachusetts representative faced calls for his resignation last November after he challenged the left's stance on transgender athletes in girls' and women's sports during an interview with The New York Times.
"Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face," he said at the time. "I have two little girls. I don't want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I'm supposed to be afraid to say that."
Maher brought this up during his conversation with Moulton and praised him for speaking out, claiming that Democrats need to stop taking the unpopular side of "80/20" issues.
The late-night host also mentioned that Moulton's campaign manager quit over his statement on transgender athletes and that people like his former campaign manager "are the problem."
"The point is, we can't have disagreements in the party," Moulton claimed. "That was actually the latter half of my juicy quote to the New York Times. I just said, 'I don't want my daughter getting run over,' but as a Democrat, I'm not allowed to say that."
He continued, saying, "That's the problem: we can't even discuss these issues. We can't even have a reasonable policy on trans people in sports because we're not allowed to talk about it, and Republicans just run away with the issue, and they're very extreme."
Maher told Moulton that while he appreciates him taking that stance, "it's got to go further than that."
"You have to be able to talk about it, and also, that guy's wrong and you're right! How about that? You're right about this," he asserted.
Later on in the conversation, the Democratic representative called out his party for slamming Republicans as "weird," while simultaneously requiring members to have their pronouns listed in their email signatures.
"Look, if you want to be trans, go for it. It's a free country, and you can put your pronouns out there, but don't put that on me," Moulton explained.
He reiterated that Democrats need to stop taking the "20" side of "80/20" issues and expect to win over the majority of the country.
"We got to actually be real with the American people — just be honest — and it's okay if you disagree, I'm fine with that," Moulton stated. "But I get to speak as a dad, that's legitimate."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
12 minutes ago
- News24
‘Act of terrorism': Man screams ‘Free Palestine' and firebombs crowd remembering Gaza hostages
A man attacked a crowd gathered to call for the release of hostages in Gaza. Six people were injured in the attack in Colorado. The attack was labelled antisemitic. Six people were injured on Sunday when a 45-year-old man yelled 'Free Palestine' and threw incendiary devices into a crowd in Boulder, Colorado where a demonstration to remember the Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza was taking place, authorities said. Six victims aged between 67 and 88 years old were transported to hospitals, the FBI special agent in charge of the Denver Field Office, Mark Michalek, said. At least one of them was in a critical condition, authorities said. 'As a result of these preliminary facts, it is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism,' Michalek said. Michalek named the suspect as Mohamed Soliman, who was hospitalised shortly after the attack. Reuters could not immediately locate contact information for him or his family. FBI Director Kash Patel also described the incident as a 'targeted terror attack', and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said it appeared to be 'a hate crime given the group that was targeted'. Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said he did not believe anyone else was involved. 'We're fairly confident we have the lone suspect in custody,' he said. Eli Imadali/AFP The attack took place on the Pearl Street Mall, a popular pedestrian shopping district in the shadow of the University of Colorado, during an event organised by Run for Their Lives, an organisation devoted to drawing attention to the hostages seized in the aftermath of Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel. In a statement, the group said the walks have been held every week since then for the hostages, 'without any violent incidents until today'. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X he was shocked by the 'terrible antisemitic terror attack', describing it as 'pure antisemitism'. The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the US over Israel's war in Gaza, which has spurred both an increase in antisemitic hate crime as well as moves by conservative supporters of Israel led by President Donald Trump to brand pro-Palestinian protests as antisemitic. His administration has detained protesters of the war without charge and cut off funding to elite US universities that have permitted such demonstrations. In a post to X, a social network, Trump's deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said Soliman had overstayed his visa and been allowed to work by the previous administration. He said it was further evidence of the need to 'fully reverse' what he described as 'suicidal migration'. Reuters was not able to independently verify the suspect's immigration status. When asked about Soliman, the Department of Homeland Security said more information would be provided as it became available. Brooke Coffman, a 19-year-old at the University of Colorado who witnessed the Boulder incident, said she saw four women lying or sitting on the ground with burns on their legs. One of them appeared to have been badly burned on most of her body and had been wrapped in a flag by someone, she said. She described seeing a man whom she presumed to be the attacker standing in the courtyard shirtless, holding a glass bottle of clear liquid and shouting. 'Everybody is yelling, 'get water, get water,'' Coffman said. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a prominent Jewish Democrat, said it was an antisemitic attack. This is horrifying, and this cannot continue. We must stand up to antisemitism. Chuck Schumer The attack follows last month's arrest of a Chicago-born man in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, DC. Someone opened fire on a group of people leaving an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee, an advocacy group that fights antisemitism and supports Israel. The shooting fuelled polarisation in the US over the war in Gaza between supporters of Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Colorado Governor Jared Polis posted on social media that it was 'unfathomable that the Jewish community is facing another terror attack here in Boulder'.
Washington Post
34 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Eberle has 11 strikeouts, Louisville beats Wright State 6-0, sweeps Nashville Regional
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ethan Eberle had 11 strikeouts, Eddie King Jr. and Alex Alicea had two RBIs apiece on Sunday night to help Louisville beat Wright State 6-0 to sweep the Nashville Regional. Louisville advanced to the super regionals for the 10th time in program history, including five consecutive trips from 2013-17. The Cardinals had missed the postseason in three of the past four seasons, including each of the last two.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Evaluating Why Giants Shouldn't Trade for Kyle Pitts
Evaluating Why Giants Shouldn't Trade for Kyle Pitts originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Giants will enter the 2025 season with one of the league's weakest tight end rooms. That isn't necessarily an indictment of second-year tight end Theo Johnson's potential or Chris Manhertz's effectiveness as a blocker. But with little proven talent in the passing game, it is among the team's biggest questions. Advertisement That lends itself to speculation when high-profile targets become available at that position. Recently, the rumor mill has revolved around Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts. As he enters a contract year, now three seasons removed from his lone 1,000-yard season, a change of scenery feels necessary. Some feel that New York is primed to provide that pivot. The Giants shouldn't trade for the 2021 first-round tight end, though, despite the weakness on the depth chart. 'Are the Giants in a position to pay for immediate help? They may be short on salary cap space, but Pitts' appeal, at age 24, is that he could also stick around for the long term,' Cody Benjamin wrote for CBS Sports. 'Head coach Brian Daboll would surely be OK pairing the big man with Malik Nabers, giving Russell Wilson an added safety valve for an offense sorely lacking secondary playmakers over the last few years. Assuming this link-up would extend beyond 2025, Pitts' arrival would also bode well for Jaxson Dart, the presumptive quarterback of the future.' Advertisement Cap implications aside, New York isn't a fit for Pitts. For one, Pitts is among 14 tight ends set to make over $10 million in 2025. There's a decent argument that he's worse than all of them, along with a few more on rookie deals. If the Giants believe Johnson is taking any type of significant leap in the coming months, then they inherently believe he'll be better than Pitts, anyway. In Daboll's offense, Pitts profiles as a rotational player, too. Pitts is a receiver in a tight end's frame, often playing in the slot and rarely blocking successfully. He's supposed to be able to stretch the field, sure, but is he doing that at the expense of receiver Wan'Dale Robinson in the slot? The best version of Pitts isn't as a safety valve. It's as a downfield threat operating as a receiver. That makes it awfully hard to coexist with Johnson, who the regime clearly likes, and it would take away from the versatility that Johnson's blocking flashes allow New York to tap into. Between injuries and inconsistencies, Pitts has descended into disappointment. There's a world in which he blossoms for another team, but neither the Giants' scheme nor timeline suggests that jump will come in East Rutherford. Advertisement Related: Giants Lag Behind in NFC East Tight End Rankings Related: Giants Schedule Reveals Potential Dart Debuts This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
