Latest news with #DamienLehfeldt
Fox News
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
USA Fencing transgender controversy escalates at DOGE hearing with social media regrets, calls for resignation
Just six weeks after women's fencer Stephanie Turner was disqualified and escorted out of a tournament for kneeling in protest of a trans opponent, she watched the man in charge of her punishment get grilled for it in a federal hearing. USA Fencing Chair Damien Lehfeldt was grilled by Republican lawmakers at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee's "Unfair Play: Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" hearing on Wednesday. After the hearing, Turner told Fox News Digital that she would devote herself and her platform to pushing for resignations among key leadership figures in USA Fencing. "I'm going to be pushing for people to resign, to be honest. I'd like to see some people resign for the comments that they've made, especially publicly, ones that are harassing and meant to humiliate concerned women, mothers and daughters," Turner said. USA Fencing has provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing Turner's calls for leadership change. "We respect Ms. Turner's right to share her views. The volunteer members of USA Fencing's Board, elected by our membership, remain focused on serving athletes and meeting our obligations under the Ted Stevens Act and other governing-body rules. No leadership changes are under consideration," the statement read. Lehfeldt, who was subpoenaed and did not come voluntarily, made things harder on himself ahead of the hearing with a series of Instagram stories that were later blown up and used against him on the committee floor. In one post, which went viral before the hearing, he responded to a question that asked if he was "okay" with putting female fencers at a disadvantage with a simple, brash answer: "yeah." Then, during the hearing, Lehfeld admitted multiple times he regretted answering that way and admitted the question required a "more-nuanced" response. "He was under oath, but I was surprised that he admitted having written a fake response that he posted on his Instagram," Turner said. "So the simple admission that he knows what he's doing, and the intimidation tactics that he's been employing online, and he knows that they're wrong, and he hadn't redacted them until that point, it took a hearing, a subpoenaed hearing for him to do that, it was surprising." USA Fencing provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing its chair's social media posts on Wednesday. "Mr. Lehfeldt's pre-hearing social posts were made in a personal capacity. Before and during the hearing, he clarified that the comments do not reflect USA Fencing policy and expressed regret for any confusion they caused," the statement read. However, that was just the start of things for Lehfeldt. Throughout the afternoon, he faced his fair share of insults and personal comments from Republican committee members. Rep. Tim Burhcett, R-Tenn, asked Lehfeldt whether he would let his daughter fence against "a man." Lehfeldt suggested he would allow it while boasting about his organization's safety precautions. "As long as the competitor has met all the hormonal requirements and complies with the policy, I would be okay with it," Lehfeldt said. Later in the hearing, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., suggested that Lehfeldt was "not" a man for his organization's gender eligibility policy. "Real men protect women, you're not one," Mace said. Mace even asked Lehfeldt to simply apologize to Turner for punishing the fencer, to which the chair declined and pointed out that Turner received a black card for her refusal. However, Turner was not looking for an apology. "I want more than an apology. I want a change in policy and I want people to start speaking the truth again. And an apology is just empty words without actions to me, so I don't know how far it would go for me," Turner said. The organization first enacted its current trans-inclusion policy in 2023. It allows transgender athletes to compete in the women's category at both the junior and senior level after completing one calendar year of testosterone-suppression treatment. Proof of compliant hormone therapy must be provided prior to competition, but the organization has taken even further steps to prioritize its trans competitors. USA Fencing announced in late April that it is preparing to change its gender-eligibility policy in the aftermath of the controversy with Turner. "In the event that USA Fencing is forced to change its current stance in accordance with oversight bodies or federal legislation, the new policy states athletes competing in USA Fencing-sanctioned tournaments must compete according to their biological sex," the announcement read. The proposed updated policy ensures that the women's category "will be open exclusively to athletes of the female sex." The men's category "will be open to all other athletes who are otherwise eligible for competition." Education Secretary Linda McMahon previously announced that the newly formed Title IX investigations team will be probing the incident involving Turner and trans competitor Redmond Sullivan. Meanwhile, Turner is on a hiatus from fencing in the aftermath of the controversy. "I don't see how I can spend the money to go to a tournament and have their be multiple officials that I know who are deeply against me," Turner said. "That's just not a fight that I want to be in the middle of right now, I'd rather take this fight elsewhere." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Woke pro-trans fencing chief left red faced in brutal dressing down at DOGE hearing
The controversial chairman of USA Fencing endured a brutal interrogation by lawmakers on Wednesday over his stance on transgender athletes, including why he once compared concerned parents to the Ku Klux Klan. Damien Lehfeldt first made headlines last month, when a female fencer named Stephanie Turner refused to fight a transgender rival during a competition. The incident shone a light on USA Fencing and on Lehfeldt, who previously wrote in a blog post that 'transgender women are women' and '(they) deserve the right to compete with the gender they identify with.' Since returning to office, however, Donald Trump has signed an executive order entitled 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports'. On Wednesday, both Turner and Lehfeldt appeared at a hearing involving a Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE). The hearing was shown a photo, apparently posted on social media by Lehfeldt, in which he made a profane two-finger gesture at the camera with the caption 'Game day'. Lehfeldt was grilled by lawmakers including chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, with his governing body accused of 'ignoring science' and putting 'politics ahead of women and the law.' Damien Lehfeldt, Chairman of @USAFencing, has a long, ugly record of smearing parents who dare to oppose men in their daughters' sports. He brought lame excuses. I brought receipts. — Congressman Brandon Gill (@RepBrandonGill) May 7, 2025 Greene pressed him on why USA Fencing's 'site selection policy' for tournaments takes into account an area's policies on abortion and LGBT rights. 'We try to have tournaments in sites that are safe for all of our members. Period,' he said. But Lehfeldt refused to answer whether he would 'want (his) daughter to change in front of biological men in locker rooms? Yes or no.' The chairman responded to Greene: 'My daughter isn't really something that should be part of this hearing, respectfully.' Greene later posted a clip of the incident on social media and wrote: 'He couldn't say 'NO.' That tells you EVERYTHING. These people have lost all common sense.' During another excruciating exchange, Lehfeldt was pressed on previous comments he made about opponents to transgender athletes competing in women's sports. 'Do you think that parents who don't want their daughters competing against men in women's sports are "whiney",' Republican Congressman Brandon Gill asked him. After Lehfeldt said, 'No, sir,' Gill responded: 'Why did you write that on social media? I have a picture here where you posted that.' The congressman held up a screenshot. 'You were allegedly responding to a parent who didn't want their daughter being beaten up by men in sports competitions. (You wrote) "I'm not going to pull her from the sport and write and whiney email announcing my departure."' In his alleged reply, he ripped into a concerned 'Dorothy' and called her a 'cowardly Lion' Lehfeldt admitted his comments were 'inappropriate' but Gill then pressed him on another social media comment when he called opponents 'cowardly'. 'I regret it sir, I deleted it shortly after posting it and I certainly don't feel that way anymore.' As the chairman attempted to explain his position, Gill interrupted and asked: 'Do you think parents who don't want their daughters competing against men in sports should be compared to the Ku Klux Klan?' Lehfeldt responded, 'No. Absolutely not', only for Gill to dig up another 'receipt'. 'I'd like to read what you wrote and posted on social media, responding allegedly to a lady who had these concerns,' he said before quoting Lehfedlt. 'The only wizard that's going to dig you out of the myopic hole you've put yourself and your family in is one of the "grand wizard" variety.' Grand Wizard is a title traditionally given to a leader of the Klan, a white supremacist organization dating back the era of Reconstruction. '(It's) inappropriate, sir,' Lehfeldt admitted. 'I acknowledge that I said it and I will commit to never making a message like that again.' The chairman insisted the email he received was real but admitted he did not send the replies he posted to social media. Turner, meanwhile, claimed she was left feeling 'isolated and strangled' by USA Fencing, having spent '7,000 hours training and over $100,000' on her fencing career. Lehfeldt said the organization would comply with law changes regarding transgender athletes in women's sports. I asked if USA Fencing's Chair Damien Lehfeldt would want his daughter changing in front of a man. He couldn't say 'NO.' That tells you EVERYTHING. These people have lost all common sense. — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) May 7, 2025 'Gender participation in sports is a complex topic,' he said, adding that 'considerations of safety and fairness are paramount.' But in a statement to Outkick, USA Fencing suggested its transgender policy is out of its hands: 'USA Fencing remains dedicated to maintaining a fair, respectful environment where every athlete can participate. 'Our current transgender and non-binary eligibility policy, adopted in 2023, reflects guidance from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).' The statement continued: 'Because the Ted Stevens Act bars us from adopting participation requirements more stringent than those of our international federation (FIE), we must mirror that framework. Should Congress amend the Act, or the IOC/FIE change their standards, USA Fencing will adjust accordingly.'
Newsweek
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Who Is Damien Lehfeldt? USA Fencing Chief Attacked Over Transgender Rules
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. Damien Lehfeldt, of the organization USA Fencing, testified in Congress yesterday during a hearing which examined the participation of transgender women in sport. He was questioned by House Republicans on his views on the matter, which has become one of the most contentious issues in sport. He said that transgender participation in fencing posed no greater safety risks than single or mixed-gender participation. Newsweek has reached out to USA Fencing via email for comment outside of regular working hours. Why It Matters The hearing comes amid a broader conversation about transgender women in sport, which is playing out across the world. Since his reelection, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order which banned transgender female athletes from competing in women's or girls' sports. Organizations such as the English Football Association, the regulatory body for soccer in the country, have put in place similar bans. USA Fencing board director Damien Lehfeldt speaks during the hearing on 'Unfair Play: Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" at the U.S. Capitol on May 7, 2025. in Washington, DC. USA Fencing board director Damien Lehfeldt speaks during the hearing on 'Unfair Play: Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" at the U.S. Capitol on May 7, 2025. in Washington, To Know Lehfeldt spoke at the at the hearing on "Unfair Play: Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" held by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee at the U.S. Capitol. The decision from House Republicans to subpoena Lehfeldt follows an incident in March of this year. During USA Fencing's Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland on March 30, a fencer named Stephanie Turner took a knee rather than competing against a 20-year-old transgender woman, Redmond Sullivan. Turner forfeited the match and was hit with a 12-month probation period from the sport. USA Fencing rules stipulate that a fencer cannot refuse to compete against any qualified fencer who has entered a tournament. Any fencer who violates this rule is then automatically placed on a 12-month probation. The current policy of USA Fencing, which has been in place since 2023 allows transgender and nonbinary individuals to compete "in a manner consistent with their gender identity/ expression, regardless of the gender associated with the sex they were assigned at birth." Lehfeldt was questioned on this policy in Congress by lawmakers including Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Nancy Mace. Who Is Stephanie Turner? Turner is a 31-year-old fencer. The video of her refusing to compete against Sullivan went viral, and she has been commended by figures including J.K. Rowling and Mace, both of whom are known for their vocal opinions on trans people, for her decision not to compete. Turner told Fox News of her decision, "When I took the knee, I looked at the ref and I said, 'I'm sorry, I cannot do this. I am a woman, and this is a man, and this is a women's tournament. And I will not fence this individual." Speaking to the House DOGE subcommittee, she said that she felt betrayed by USA Fencing. "I had been defrauded of a women's tournament and sold a lie by USA Fencing she said." Turner added that she felt "isolated" and "strangled," by USA Fencing for disagreeing with their transgender policy. Who Is Damien Lefheldt? Lehfeldt is the chair of the board of directors for USA Fencing, which is the national governing body which oversees fencing in the U.S. He was elected to the organization's board of directors in 2023 and has served as chair since 2024. He has expressed support for transgender women in sport, though USA Fencing's policy on transgender women predates his position on the board. In a statement shared at the subcommittee, Lehfeldt said: "USA Fencing has long sponsored mixed-gender competitions in which men and women freely compete against each other. Indeed, the majority of USA Fencing tournaments—particularly at the local level—are mixed-gender competitions." The statement continued: "That significant body of experience has taught us that mixed-gender competition, in fencing at least, does not pose any significant safety risks above and beyond single-gender fencing competition. The same is true for fencing involving transgender participation." Lehfeldt's involvement in fencing spans decades. He began his journey as a young épée fencer, competing through his college years at Brandeis University and participating in events like the Maccabi Games. He later moved into coaching, including a tenure at the Richmond Fencing Club. What People Are Saying J.K. Rowling, the writer on X: "This woman will go down in sporting history as a heroine and USA Fencing will be remembered for their profound misogyny for forcing her and other women, into this situation." Shane Diamond, GLAAD's director of communications and transgender advocacy, said in an email shared with Newsweek: "Sport is a human right and should remain open and accessible to anyone who wants to participate, inclusive of their gender identity. " Representative Nancy Mace on X: "I asked if Fencing's Chair Damein Lehfeldt would apologize to women's fencing hero Stephanie Turner. For how they treated her for standing up for herself and standing against men in women's fencing. He refused. Real men protect women. This guy ain't one." Damien Lehfeldt, Chair of the Board of Directors of USA Fencing in a statement: "USA Fencing is committed to fairness, safety, and integrity. Those remain the organization's guiding principles. USA Fencing also is committed to complying with its obligations under the law. If the law and evidence around this issue change, so, too, will USA Fencing's policies." Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene on X: "I asked if USA Fencing's Chair Damien Lehfeldt would want his daughter changing in front of a man. He couldn't say "NO." That tells you EVERYTHING. These people have lost all common sense." What's Next Trump's executive order has reshaped transgender inclusion in sports. The future remains uncertain and the debate over fairness, inclusion, and athlete rights continues.
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Fox News star hoodwinked by misleading picture of USA fencing witness at hearing
Republican lawmakers and right leaning media figures fell for a cropped selfie that appeared to show the head of USA Fencing flipping his middle finger before appearing before a hearing on men competing in women's sports. USA Fencing Chairman Damien Lehfeldt posted a selfie image to his Instagram story wearing a suit and putting up what appeared to be his middle finger with the caption: 'Game day.' Soon after, Lehfeldt was forced to post an unedited version of the image showing he was holding up a 'peace sign' with his pointer and middle finger and not flipping off the House Oversight Committee. Lawmakers who oppose transgender athletes competing in sports that don't align with their biological gender pounced on a tweet from the Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS) claiming Lehfeldt was flipping the bird ahead of his testimony. 'ICONS has tweeted that I held up a middle finger. Here is the uncropped photo,' Lehfeldt posted to his Facebook story in clarifying the context of the entire image. But it was too late. Fox News host Aishah Hasnie already had picked up the story suggested the USA Fencing chair was flipping off the panel he was about to appear before. The cropped image made it look like USA Fencing Chairman Damien Lehfeldt was holding up his middle finger ahead of the hearing – but he later posted an unedited version that showed he was holding up a peace sign 'I can't show it to you because it might be a little too graphic,' the Fox star said while reporting from the halls of Congress. And Republicans on the House Oversight Committee printed out a version of his cropped Instagram image where it looked like he was flipping off the camera and blew it up on a poster at the hearing. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who sits on the panel and is a staunch advocate of keeping men out of women's sports, posted an image of the poster at Wednesday's hearing. 'Caught in 4k,' she wrote with a screen grab of the cropped version of Lehfeldt's image on a stand behind Government Reform Subcommittee Chairwoman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). One social media user said it was dishonest for Lehfeldt to crop the image, claiming he edited it to make it look provocative on purpose. 'We don't have to smear a man who smears himself,' ICONS wrote in a post responding to the new information. Lehfeldt is one of the people testifying before the Oversight hearing on Wednesday regarding Republicans' crackdown on biological men participating in women's events and sports. It comes after female fencer Stephanie Turner—who took a knee to protest facing a male opponent – voluntarily left the sport. At Wednesday's hearing, Lehfeldt defended the fact that fencing has long been a mix-gender sport with leagues where men and women commonly compete against each other. He also said he hoped that Turner would return to the sport and was 'disappointed' to hear she is taking a break.
Fox News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
USA Fencing clarifies chairman's photo which caused frenzy before hearing
USA Fencing chairman Damien Lehfeldt clarified a photo posted on his private Instagram account on Wednesday, showing that he was holding up two fingers. Lehfeldt's initial photo appeared to show him holding up a middle finger ahead of a hearing in front of Congressional lawmakers on keeping men out of women's sports. The photo showed his other finger cropped out of the photo. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON A caption, which read "game day," was placed on the top of the photo. USA Fencing shared the full uncropped photo from Lehfeldt with Fox News Digital. The hearing comes weeks after fencer Stephanie Turner knelt in protest of a transgender opponent at an event. It sparked outrage against the organization, and it led Turner to step away from the sport altogether. The organization said last month it was preparing to amend its current policies that allow biological males to compete with women and girls in the event that it is "forced" to change them. "In the event that USA Fencing is forced to change its current stance in accordance with oversight bodies or federal legislation, the new policy states athletes competing in USA Fencing-sanctioned tournaments must compete according to their biological sex," the announcement read. WOMEN'S SWIMMERS SPEAK OUT AFTER UNKNOWINGLY FACING TRANS COMPETITOR, FILING COMPLAINT: 'I FEEL BETRAYED' The proposed updated policy ensures that women's category "will be open exclusively to athletes of the female sex." The men's category "will be open to all other athletes who are otherwise eligible for competition." The change would go into effect across sanctioned competition levels, including Division I, IA, II, III, Junior, Cadet, Youth, Veteran and all other categories. "If adopted, this policy is solely to ensure future compliance required by oversight organizations. This policy does not reflect any change in our strong support for each individual's right to identity," the announcement read. "We recognize that many people — particularly transgender and non-binary athletes and their supporters in fencing clubs nationwide — will be profoundly impacted if this policy takes effect." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Turner is expected to be a witness in the hearing along with Payton McNabb, the former volleyball who suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of a spike from a transgender athlete. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter .
