Latest news with #PaytonMcNabb
Fox News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Stephanie Turner, Payton McNabb open up on chaotic DOGE hearing on trans athletes
Female athletes Stephanie Turner and Payton McNabb testified to members of Congress at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee's "Unfair Play: Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" hearing on Wednesday. At one point during the hearing, the two women were approached by Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas. "'You're both very courageous. You're very courageous being here, and I want to say thank you for all of this,'" Crockett said to the two women, Turner told Fox News Digital. "And I said 'Payton and I both took time out of our day to be there, and I find it very disrespectful that you would co-opt this hearing that is about me and Payton and make it about your own politics.'" Crockett had just used her turn during the hearing to divert the conversation away from protecting women's sports, the main purpose of the hearing, to condemn President Donald Trump for other issues. Crockett had previously attempted to speak Crockett even made light of the issue of trans athlete inclusion by turning her monologue into a game she called "Trump or Trans." The game featured Crockett asking another witness whether to blame Trump or trans people for a series of unsubstantiated issues that included "increasing the price of everything" and "ignoring the constitution." The witness responded "Trump" all 12 times. Crockett has been outspokenly opposed to Republican efforts to keep trans athletes out of women's and girls' sports, even previously mocking Americans who claim to have been impacted. Yet, she tried to be complimentary with McNabb and Turner, according to them. "I think she was lying," McNabb told Fox News Digital. "I did not believe one word she said, because literally the theatrics, and just how she acted literally the whole time and then trying to come over and whisper and be nice girl to us. I don't know what happened, it was like a whole other person than what we all saw 10 seconds before she got over there." Fox News Digital reached out to Crockett for further comment. Crockett's antics were one of just several incidents that highlighted a hearing of chaos that involved multiple shouting matches between committee members and witnesses, as well as plainly questionable comments. Many such comments confused, frustrated and offended Turner and McNabb. McNabb suffered permanent brain injuries in high school after getting spiked in the head by a trans opponent during a volleyball match. She then had to watch opposing witness Fatima Goss Graves, CEO of the National Women's Law Center, suggest that the way to prevent other women from facing similar injuries is to prevent spiking in volleyball altogether. "I would argue that the answer is to ensure people can't spike volleyballs into other people's heads," Goss Graves said during the hearing when responding McNabb's story. For McNabb, Goss Graves' answer was startling. "That was just absolutely ridiculous," McNabb said. "The fact of the matter is, that day and that injury was unlike anything else I've ever experienced, and it's because it was a man who hit me in the face, it's really just that simple." What came as an even bigger shock to McNabb was when Goss Graves offered to work with the former volleyball player to help her recover from her brain damage, during the hearing. "That's not happening. This woman is obviously not sane, and I don't know why she would think I would ever want some medical advice or advice in general from her," McNabb said. Turner, who went viral in April for refusing to face a trans opponent at a fencing match and getting punished by USA Fencing, took particular offense to comments made by Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Cal. During Simon's turn, she suggested that protecting women's sports would lead to bringing back racial segregation and that Black women would be disproportionately targeted by trans athlete restriction laws. "I find that, as a Black woman myself, to be quite offensive," Turner said. "I find it offensive because they lead with this statement 'as a Black woman, I'm a Black woman.' Well, I'm a Black woman, I was born in Washington D.C., I was raised in one of the bluest parts of America in Montgomery County, Maryland, and no, I don't agree with you, that's wrong." Wednesday also marked the first time Turner came face-to-face with USA Fencing chair Damien Lehfeldt, who was subpoenaed to the hearing, since her viral kneel protest. Turner was given a black card for refusing to face the trans opponent, disqualified and escorted out of the venue, and then given a 12-month probation. Lehfeldt was aggressively pressed by Republican committee members throughout the hearing about his organization's pro-trans policies and punishment of Turner. At one point, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., used her time to ask Lehfeldt to apologize to Turner. Lefheldt did not apologize upon the request, and in response, Mace suggested Lehfeldt was "not" a man. "Real men protect women, you're not one," Mace said. Turner said she was not surprised by Lehfeldt's refusal to apologize and would not have accepted it even if he did. "An apology is just empty words without actions," Turner said. Turner added that after Wednesday's hearing, she sees the next big goal in the movement to protect women's sports is to push USA Fencing to make concrete changes to its gender eligibility policy to protect women competitors. The organization said it is 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 it. 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. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Democrats' hatred of Trump is destroying their party
Democrats did not just lose an election in 2024 — apparently, they lost their minds, too. Consider, for instance, how they kicked off Women's History Month — by voting against protecting women and girls in sports, against guaranteeing them a fair playing field. That's right: Every single Democrat voted down the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would prohibit federally funded schools from allowing male transgender athletes to participate in women's sports. It would prevent girls and women from being injured by bigger, stronger biological males. And, just as importantly, it would prevent girls who have worked like crazy to excel in sports from being humiliated by a men dressed like women. Take, for example, the basketball game that took place a year ago between two Massachusetts teams — the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell and KIPP Academy in Lynn. A transgender player for KIPP, at six feet tall and sporting facial hair, injured multiple opposing female players, eventually forcing Collegiate to forfeit the game. Or consider the gruesome injury sustained by Payton McNabb in a 2022 volleyball match, when a transgender opponent spiked the ball into her head and nearly killed her. Some 79 percent of Americans, including 67 percent of Democrats, favor keeping men out of women's sports and locker rooms, according to New York Times-Ipsos polling. So why fall on your sword by defeating a bill that so clearly aligns with the preferences of voters? This is not the only recent foolish move by Democrats. In anticipation of President Trump's speech to Congress on Tuesday, 22 senators in the Democratic caucus broadcast videos of themselves all reading the exact same script, which starts with the words, 'S— that ain't true,' mocking Trump's campaign pledge to bring down prices on Day 1. Conservatives on social media quickly roasted the copycat stunt, and rightly so. And then we have Democrats' embarrassing behavior during Trump's speech. Early on, one of their own, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), was booted from the chamber for trying to disrupt the president by shouting and waving his cane. Others were more restrained but equally undignified, raising little paddles to signal their disapproval, looking for all the world like spoiled children. More shameful, though, was their sullen refusal to applaud or celebrate a young black child who had overcome brain cancer and always wanted to be a cop; the return of Marc Fogel, formerly held hostage in Russia; and a steelworker who has been a foster parent to some 40 kids. These were moving stories, but Democrats could not find in their angry souls any compassion for them. Shame on them. Here's the problem for the 'Resistance,' as Democrats like to refer to themselves: The policies they are 'resisting' are popular with U.S. voters. Take their opposition to Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency? Is there anyone who does not think the federal government is too big and riddled with waste and fraud? A CBS poll taken after Trump's speech found that 76 percent of those surveyed approved of the address. Moreover, 77 percent approved of his efforts to cut government waste and spending; 77 percent favored his immigration and border policies; 73 percent backed his position on Russia and Ukraine; 68 percent thought he had a clear plan to tackle inflation; 68 percent say he is right on crime; and 63 percent say he is focused on issues they care about. Oh, and 74 percent thought his speech was 'presidential.' The audience definitely tilted toward the Republican but even so, that seems like a major thumbs-up for a president Democrats appear determined to oppose at every turn. Maybe Democrats need to rethink their game plan, which seemingly was crafted during Trump's first term, when the president was less popular than he is now. Perhaps the urge to demean and oppose every single thing he did eight years ago made sense, when his election was considered a fluke and his support was shaky. But Trump won the popular vote last November, along with every swing state. Moreover, he made great strides with constituents traditionally important to Democrats, including Hispanics and young people. Do they want to double down on the policies, like the open border, that turned those important voting groups against them? Part of Democrats' problem is that they are leaderless; Hakeem Jeffries is no Nancy Pelosi, who ruled her fractious House caucus (and her party) with an iron fist. Another issue is that they have ceded far too much influence to the progressive wing of the party. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is one of the few Democrats to abandon the progressive label and hew toward the center after his election. He has voted to confirm some of Trump's Cabinet nominees and has been supportive of Israel and of restricting immigration. The Pennsylvania senator called his party's behavior during Trump's speech a 'sad cavalcade of self-owns and unhinged petulance,' and characterized Democrats' protests against the Trump agenda as 'the metaphorical car alarms that nobody pays attention to — and it may not be the winning message.' Hatred of Donald Trump is neither a message nor a strategy. The question is whether Democrats can break loose of this affliction and begin to recover their footing. In the coming weeks, they face an important test: Democrats will have to decide whether to sign on to a Republican-sponsored continuing resolution to fund the government. In the past, the party standing in the way of keeping the federal government open has suffered political backlash. That risk may not dissuade House liberals. Here again, Fetterman emerges as the voice of reason, saying, 'I will never vote or withhold that support because we must never shut down our government. That's one of our core responsibilities, and I will never vote for chaos.' Will his colleagues come to their senses and work with Republicans to fund the government? Or will they continue down the path of political self-destruction? Liz Peek is a former partner of major bracket Wall Street firm Wertheim and Company. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
07-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Democrats' hatred of Trump is destroying their party
Democrats did not just lose an election in 2024 — apparently, they lost their minds, too. Consider, for instance, how they kicked off Women's History Month — by voting against protecting women and girls in sports, against guaranteeing them a fair playing field. That's right: Every single Democrat voted down the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would prohibit federally funded schools from allowing male transgender athletes to participate in women's sports. It would prevent girls and women from being injured by bigger, stronger biological males. And, just as importantly, it would prevent girls who have worked like crazy to excel in sports from being humiliated by a men dressed like women. Take, for example, the basketball game that took place a year ago between two Massachusetts teams — the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell and KIPP Academy in Lynn. A transgender player for KIPP, at six feet tall and sporting facial hair, injured multiple opposing female players, eventually forcing Collegiate to forfeit the game. Or consider the gruesome injury sustained by Payton McNabb in a 2022 volleyball match, when a transgender opponent spiked the ball into her head and nearly killed her. Some 79 percent of Americans, including 67 percent of Democrats, favor keeping men out of women's sports and locker rooms, according to New York Times-Ipsos polling. So why fall on your sword by defeating a bill that so clearly aligns with the preferences of voters? This is not the only recent foolish move by Democrats. In anticipation of President Trump's speech to Congress on Tuesday, 22 senators in the Democratic caucus broadcast videos of themselves all reading the exact same script, which starts with the words, 'S— that ain't true,' mocking Trump's campaign pledge to bring down prices on Day 1. Conservatives on social media quickly roasted the copycat stunt, and rightly so. And then we have Democrats' embarrassing behavior during Trump's speech. Early on, one of their own, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), was booted from the chamber for trying to disrupt the president by shouting and waving his cane. Others were more restrained but equally undignified, raising little paddles to signal their disapproval, looking for all the world like spoiled children. More shameful, though, was their sullen refusal to applaud or celebrate a young black child who had overcome brain cancer and always wanted to be a cop; the return of Marc Fogel, formerly held hostage in Russia; and a steelworker who has been a foster parent to some 40 kids. These were moving stories, but Democrats could not find in their angry souls any compassion for them. Shame on them. Here's the problem for the 'Resistance,' as Democrats like to refer to themselves: The policies they are 'resisting' are popular with U.S. voters. Take their opposition to Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency? Is there anyone who does not think the federal government is too big and riddled with waste and fraud? A CBS poll taken after Trump's speech found that 76 percent of those surveyed approved of the address. Moreover, 77 percent approved of his efforts to cut government waste and spending; 77 percent favored his immigration and border policies; 73 percent backed his position on Russia and Ukraine; 68 percent thought he had a clear plan to tackle inflation; 68 percent say he is right on crime; and 63 percent say he is focused on issues they care about. Oh, and 74 percent thought his speech was 'presidential.' The audience definitely tilted toward the Republican but even so, that seems like a major thumbs-up for a president Democrats appear determined to oppose at every turn. Maybe Democrats need to rethink their game plan, which seemingly was crafted during Trump's first term, when the president was less popular than he is now. Perhaps the urge to demean and oppose every single thing he did eight years ago made sense, when his election was considered a fluke and his support was shaky. But Trump won the popular vote last November, along with every swing state. Moreover, he made great strides with constituents traditionally important to Democrats, including Hispanics and young people. Do they want to double down on the policies, like the open border, that turned those important voting groups against them? Part of Democrats' problem is that they are leaderless; Hakeem Jeffries is no Nancy Pelosi, who ruled her fractious House caucus (and her party) with an iron fist. Another issue is that they have ceded far too much influence to the progressive wing of the party. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is one of the few Democrats to abandon the progressive label and hew toward the center after his election. He has voted to confirm some of Trump's Cabinet nominees and has been supportive of Israel and of restricting immigration. The Pennsylvania senator called his party's behavior during Trump's speech a 'sad cavalcade of self-owns and unhinged petulance,' and characterized Democrats' protests against the Trump agenda as 'the metaphorical car alarms that nobody pays attention to — and it may not be the winning message.' Hatred of Donald Trump is neither a message nor a strategy. The question is whether Democrats can break loose of this affliction and begin to recover their footing. In the coming weeks, they face an important test: Democrats will have to decide whether to sign on to a Republican-sponsored continuing resolution to fund the government. In the past, the party standing in the way of keeping the federal government open has suffered political backlash. That risk may not dissuade House liberals. Here again, Fetterman emerges as the voice of reason, saying, 'I will never vote or withhold that support because we must never shut down our government. That's one of our core responsibilities, and I will never vote for chaos.' Will his colleagues come to their senses and work with Republicans to fund the government? Or will they continue down the path of political self-destruction?
South China Morning Post
06-03-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Meet Payton McNabb, the volleyball player mentioned in Donald Trump's speech to Congress: the 19-year-old was injured by a transgender opponent at school and calls The Apprentice alum her ‘bestie'
Volleyball player Payton McNabb – who was severely injured by a transgender opponent during a game in 2022 – was invited as a special guest of President Donald Trump at a joint address to Congress on Tuesday. Payton McNabb was a special guest of Donald Trump in Congress earlier this week. Photo: @ The former North Carolina high school athlete called out Democrats for 'failing women', writes the New York Post. Advertisement 'When her girls' volleyball match was invaded by a male,' Trump claimed upon introducing McNabb to the audience, while incorrectly gendering her opponent. 'He smashed the ball so hard in Payton's face, causing a traumatic brain injury, partially paralysing her right side and ending her athletic career.' Trump's administration has taken a hard anti-trans stance, from threatening to issue permanent visa bans against individuals 'misrepresenting' their birth sex on visa applications, to attempting to pull federal funding from medical organisations providing gender-affirming care to transgender youth. The 19-year-old said she was happy to have her story highlighted by the president. 'What an incredible honour,' McNabb told the New York Post. 'I was just so honoured to even be there as a guest of the president and first lady, that's just unreal – such a surreal moment I'll never forget,' she added. 'Not only getting to be there, but him actually shouting me out and sharing my story was just amazing,' she told the outlet. 'It really fills me up because I'm so thankful we finally have a president that is willing to do that and take this issue for what it is.' Here's what we know about Payton McNabb. What is Payton McNabb's background? Payton McNabb is currently studying for a degree in communications. Photo: @ McNabb was a 17-year-old junior at Hiwassee Dam High School in Murphy, North Carolina, at the time of her injury, per Fox 5 Atlanta. She is now reportedly an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in communications at Western Carolina University.
Fox News
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter: Former volleyball player Payton McNabb takes main stage at Trump's address
'FAILED WOMEN' – Former high school volleyball player Payton McNabb spoke out against Democrats who wore pink during President Donald Trump's address to Congress after Senators prevented an executive order on transgender athletes' participation from being codified. Continue reading … FAIRNESS IN WOMEN'S SPORTS – Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women's college sports. Braun also highlighted volleyball player Elle Patterson, who is listed as a plaintiff in the female athlete lawsuit against the Mountain West Conference. Continue reading … PARTISANSHIP – No Senate Democrat voted in favor of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which addresses biological males' participation in women's and girls' sports. The act required a minimum of 60 votes to break the filibuster. Continue reading … 'CAME TOGETHER TO STOP THIS' – Chris Kluwe, a former NFL punter who was thrust into the national spotlight after he was arrested at a California city council meeting, voiced his support for lawmakers who blocked the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act from moving forward. Continue reading … STAR POWER – Former NCAA swimmer and host of OutKick's 'Gaines For Girls' podcast, Riley Gaines, called on prominent star athletes to assist in her push for fairness in women's and girls' sports. Continue reading … 'CLEAR MESSAGE' – Rep. Laurel Libby, who was censured in the state's House of Representatives over a social media post that pointed out a transgender athlete had won a girls' competition, praised President Donald Trump's remarks during his address to Congress on biological males competing in women's sports. Continue reading … RUNNING IT BACK – Travis Kelce pubically addressed his decision to forgo retirement and return to the Kansas City Chiefs for the 2025 NFL season. Continue reading … FROM FOX SPORTS – The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books. FOX Sports' lead college football analyst Joel Klatt highlights some of last week's biggest takeaways. Continue reading … FROM OUTKICK – The Vikings declined to place the franchise tag on Sam Darnold by Tuesday's deadline. OutKick's Armando Salguero predicts Darnold's and other high-profile veteran quarterbacks' landing spots. Continue reading … WATCH NOW – Keyshawn Johnson weighs in after a quarterbacks coach raised concerns about NFL Draft prospect Shedeur Sanders' disposition during interviews at the league's annual scouting combine. Watch here … FOLLOW FOX NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
