Fox News uses Wash. Post headline to present restrictions on trans equality as a winning issue for Republicans
The network used the poll from December, which found majority support for restricting gender-affirming care for minors, to once again attack former trans athlete Lia Thomas
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Citation From Fox News, May 8, 2023, America's Newsroom.
DANA PERINO (FOX NEWS ANCHOR): A new Washington Post-KFF poll finds a majority of Americans support restrictions that affect transgender children. Meantime, former NCAA Champion swimmer and activist Riley Gaines is urging female athletes to boycott competing against transgender girls. How will it go? Chief Washington correspondent Mike Emanuel live with the details. I thought those poll results were very interesting to read yesterday, Mike.
MIKE EMANUEL (FOX NEW CORRESPONDENT): Fascinating numbers. That Washington Post poll finds most Americans support anti-trans policies favored by the GOP. In that poll, 57% of adults said a person's gender is determined from birth, while 43% say it can differ. One sport where this has been a red hot issue is swimming, where trans swimmer Lia Thomas at the University of Pennsylvania has been dominant, while a biological female swimmer told Fox Nation there has been a political shift here.
RILEY GAINES (INDEPENDENT WOMEN'S FORUM SPOKESPERSON): Think of the Left, the Democrats. They were once a party that embraced this idea, upheld this idea and did everything in their power to fight for women and their rights and their sex-based protections. Now, we're seeing this totally flipped. We're now seeing Republicans fight for women and our sex-protected rights.
EMANUEL: There are signs it could be a red-hot issue heading into the 2024 campaign. Nikki Haley touched on this issue in Virginia Beach this weekend.
NIKKI HALEY (REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE): We've reached a point in American history where common sense has gone out the window. Think about it. We live in a time when men are playing in women's sports. We're told it is progress. Believe me, it's not.
EMANUEL: At the White House, President Biden and his team are on the side of the transgender community.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE (WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY): We continue to stand with transgender and lgptq leaders and their families in the face of extreme attacks and we'll continue to do that.
EMANUEL: Some Republicans are arguing this is a winning issue going into 2024, and Democrats, they insist, are on the wrong side of the issue, Dana.