Latest news with #SarahMcBride
New York Post
02-08-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Freshman Dem admits ‘voters feel like Democrats have sort of been a–holes to them'
Voters think Democrats are 'a–holes,' prominent freshman Rep. Sarah McBride said, blaming that perception for her party's electoral setbacks. 'I think voters feel like Democrats have sort of been a–holes to them,' McBride (D-Del.) told Politico's 'The Conversation' in an interview set to drop Sunday. Democrats, whose party symbol is a donkey, aka a jacka–, have been deep in soul-searching about how they were trounced across the board in the November election. McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress, argued voters want 'respect,' and Democrats don't give it. 'I do think that a voter asks two questions when they're considering who to vote for. The first question is: Does this candidate, does this party like me? And by extension, do they respect me?' the Delaware Democrat told host Dasha Burns. 3 Rep. Sarah McBride wants her party to be less off putting to voters. Bloomberg via Getty Images 3 The November election marked the first time Democrats lost the popular vote in a presidential election in 20 years. TNS 'If you can't answer that first question to a voter's satisfaction, they won't even get to the second question, which is: What does this party think? What does this candidate think? And I think we lost that first question.' Other prominent Dems have raised similar concerns their party has become too elitist and engaged in excessive culture war battles which have repelled the working class. Following President Trump's win in November, for example, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) contended many Dems came across as 'condescending' and had an attitude that working-class voters should be 'smart enough to realize they're voting against their interests.' Others have raised concerns that Democrats had been too hostile towards men, and some, such as Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), dinged the party for being too dismissive towards voters who had concerns about transgender competitors in women's sports. 'I do think that we have to basically create a tent that is united on three fundamental principles,' McBride continued. 'One is working people need more support and help. Two, democracy and freedom are good. And three, we're not going to be a‑‑holes to voters.' Much of the off-putting attitudes voters are reacting to aren't necessarily from elected Democrats, but rather from influencers and big-name commentators, she cautioned. 3 Democrats are scrambling to course correct ahead of the 2026 and 2028 elections. Getty Images 'The reality in today's environment is that your party ecosystem is defined not just by politicians or the party, but also some of the loudest voices online that in voters' minds reflect and represent that broader coalition,' the Delaware Democrat stressed. 'When we have an environment where we've got some very loud people who are shaming and calling people who disagree with them — even in rhetoric — bigots, when we have those folks saying that to a wide swath of voters, including voters we could win, and we aren't explicitly stating something to the contrary, then a voter will then just paint us all with one broad brush.' McBride also posited that Trump's rise to political power has been 'fueled by a frustration that government no longer works or delivers for people' — something she blamed on gridlock in Congress.
The Hill
01-08-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
McBride: ‘Voters feel like Democrats have sort of been a‑‑holes to them'
Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) said the Democratic Party is failing to connect with voters due to insensibility. 'I think voters feel like Democrats have sort of been assholes to them,' McBride told Politico's Dasha Burns during an interview for ' The Conversation ' set to air Sunday. McBride, a first-term lawmaker, made history in November by becoming the first transgender member of Congress. 'I do think that a voter asks two questions when they're considering who to vote for. The first question is, does this candidate, does this party like me? And by extension, do they respect me?' she told Burns. 'If you can't answer that first question to a voter's satisfaction, they won't even get to the second question, which is, what does this party think? What does this candidate think? And I think we lost that first question,' McBride added. While her election process proved to be successful, Democrats lost crucial campaigns across the country to include the presidency. Months later, party members are working to regain voters' attention ahead of midterm elections and the 2028 presidential race. For McBride, a major objective is to rally working-class Americans on behalf of Democrats. 'I do think that we have to basically create a tent that is united on three fundamental principles,' McBride said in the interview, which was taped Wednesday, according to Politico. 'One is working people need more support and help. Two, democracy and freedom are good. And three, we're not going to be a–holes to voters.' The Delaware Democrat said to remove the negative stigma, party members need to combat online rhetoric that isolates or alienates different demographics. 'The reality in today's environment is that your party ecosystem is defined not just by politicians or the party, but also some of the loudest voices online that in voters' minds reflect and represent that broader coalition,' McBride said. 'When we have an environment where we've got some very loud people who are shaming and calling people who disagree with them — even in rhetoric — bigots, when we have those folks saying that to a wide swath of voters, including voters we could win, and we aren't explicitly stating something to the contrary, then a voter will then just paint us all with one broad brush,' she added.
Telegraph
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Watch: Congresswoman kicked off camera after sleeping during House speech
A Democrat congresswoman was moved off camera after sleeping during Hakeem Jeffries's eight-hour-long speech delaying the passage of Donald Trump's 'big beautiful bill'. With the massive budget measure passed by the Senate on Wednesday, and having been voted through the House of Representatives, the bill will now become law. However, in the early hours of Thursday morning, following an overnight debate in the House, Democratic Minority Leader Mr Jeffries started speaking in an effort to slow passage of the bill. Some speculated over whether Mr Jeffries, the congressional representative for New York's 8th district, was trying to push the voting through of the bill past Mr Trump's deadline of July 4. However, his efforts were in vain and the bill passed 218-214. As people tuned in to watch Mr Jeffries's so-called 'Magic Minute' pass more than eight hours and break a previous record, a colleague sitting directly behind him could be seen snoozing. Democrat @Marcy_Kaptur failed and failed and failed and failed to stay awake — Ben Petersen (@bennpetersen) July 3, 2025 Video posted on social media showed what appeared to be a staff member or colleague tap Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, 79, on the shoulder to wake her. She was promptly replaced by Delaware congresswoman Sarah McBride. And here's the moment when @Marcy_Kaptur got the tap on the shoulder from Democrat staff to leave and be replaced by Delaware Representative McBride — Ben Petersen (@bennpetersen) July 3, 2025 Republican state representative, Josh Williams, who plans to challenge and defeat the Democrat in the 2026 elections, wrote on X: 'Marcy Kaptur has been sleeping on the job for longer than I've been alive.' He added: 'Enough is enough! Northwest Ohio deserves real representation in Congress, not a slumbering career politician who votes for record tax increases.' Sleep-deprived politicians The snoozing of Ms Kaptur, who has represented Ohio's 9th congressional district since 1983, came after a series of sleep-deprived nights for many politicians involved in votes on Mr Trump's main domestic measure. Often the voting has gone on until the early hours. Democrats have been united in their opposition to the measures proposed in Mr Trump's bill, arguing that millions of people will lose access to health care and welfare items such as food stamps. Without enough votes in either the Senate or the House to stop passage of the measure, they have been reduced to largely symbolic acts of resistance. In one such move, Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, mandated that the entire 940-page bill be read aloud. On Thursday, Mr Jeffries was making use of his right as leader to speak for longer than usual than the allotted minute and highlight what he claimed were the perils to millions of Americans contained in Mr Trump's measures. Starting speaking a little before 5am, he said he did not care about Mr Trump's demand to have the bill passed by July 4. He added: 'I'm here today to make it clear that I'm going to take my time and ensure that the American people fully understand how damaging this bill will be to their quality of life.'
Axios
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Transgender representation in public office has skyrocketed
Transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming representation in public office has soared by 1,800% since 2017, a report released Wednesday found. The big picture: Skyrocketing representation comes as there are mounting attacks on the transgender community in hundreds of state-level bills and a Trump-emboldened Republican trifecta in Washington, D.C. President Trump has signed a number of sweeping executive orders singling out transgender Americans that have had massive and swift repercussions, inviting a slew of legal challenges. But 2025 also brought victories for representation, from Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) making history as the first openly transgender member of Congress and wins throughout other levels of government. Driving the news: The number of known elected officials identifying as LGBTQ+ in the U.S. has grown to more than 1,330 as of May 5, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute's 2025 Out for America report, an annual analysis of the state of LGBTQ+ representation. Between June 2024 and May 2025, the number of LGBTQ+ elected officials grew by 2.4% — and since 2017, representation has swelled by 198%. Since last year, the number of LGBTQ+ elected officials of color increased by nearly 7%. What they're saying:"Despite hateful rhetoric plaguing the 2024 election cycle, LGBTQ+ elected officials won at the ballot box and made history," LGBTQ+ Victory Institute President and CEO Evan Low said in a statement. "We know these exceptionally talented public servants are exactly what we need as the antidote to combat the anti-equality virus in our halls of power," he continued. One stunning stat: Transgender representation grew only slightly between 2024 and 2025, but since 2017, it's increased by 783%, according to the Victory Institute's count. Nonbinary representation remained the same between 2024 and 2025, but it has grown 3,900% since 2017, from zero to 39 officials. Friction point: Transgender and gender-nonconforming people bore the brunt of anti-LGBTQ+ incidents tracked by GLAAD's ALERT desk over the past year or so. Of the more than 930 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents tracked, more than half targeted transgender and gender nonconforming people. And throughout Pride Month — which the White House has not yet recognized — the Trump administration has only doubled down on its increasingly hostile approach to the LGBTQ+ community, and in particular, transgender people. The threats are not confined to the federal level: In the 2025 legislative session, the ACLU is tracking hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills. Yes, but: While the LGBTQ+ community has made historic gains, it is still vastly underrepresented, according to the Victory Institute. Case in point: As of May 5, there are 243 LGBTQ+ state legislators; 461 more must be elected to achieve equitable representation. The bottom line:"Our elected officials are the backbone of the equality movement," LGBTQ+ Victory Institute Executive Director Elliot Imse said in a statement.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Delaware governor signs executive order protecting gender-affirming care
On Friday, Delaware Democratic Gov. Matt Meyer signed an executive order increasing protection for receivers and providers of gender-affirming care. 'In Delaware, we cherish privacy, dignity and the right to make personal medical decisions. Everyone deserves the freedom to access healthcare rooted in science and compassion,' said Meyer. The executive order prohibits any state agency from providing 'medical records, data or billing information, or utilize state resources' that could help any criminal or civil investigation against someone receiving or providing gender-affirming care. It also dictated that the state professional regulations board cannot disbar healthcare professionals only due to providing gender-affirming care. California, New York, Illinois and 11 other states, and Washington, D.C., have enacted similar legislation to shield patients and doctors from aggressive legislation in states where gender-affirming care is highly restricted. Patients can now travel to shield states to receive their care without fear of retribution in their home states. This comes after a Supreme Court decision on June 18 that upheld Tennessee's decision to ban puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors. 'This ruling undermines doctors in delivering care to some of the most vulnerable patients in our country,' Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the nation's first openly transgender member of Congress, said Wednesday on the social platform X. Since President Trump took office transgender rights have increasingly been limited. Trump signed an executive order recognizing only two genders, has tried to ban transgender troops from the military, has refused requests to change the gender of passports and has tried to defund gender-affirming medical care. Delaware has a long history of tolerance for LGBTQ populations. According to the order, the state hosts 40,000 LGBTQ individuals and 6,300 transgender adults. In 2013, it legalized same-sex marriage and implemented anti-discrimination laws in housing, employment and public accommodation. 'We will do everything in our power to protect transgender families in the state of Delaware and throughout the country,' the Executive Committee of the Delaware Democratic Party PRIDE Caucus said in a press statement earlier this week. 'We call on every legislator, from the state and county level to the federal level, to speak out and step up. This is the moment to act – not with caution, but with courage.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
