The WNBA&#8217;s Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said over the weekend that she felt she had to step up and protect her teammate, Caitlin Clark, after years of referees allowing cheap shots against Clark, who&#8217;s the league&#8217;s star player.
On Tuesday, Cunningham was ejected from a game and fined after she grabbed Suns guard Jacy Sheldon by the back of the head. Earlier in the game, Sheldon poked Clark in the eye as she was passing the ball &#8212; which clearly did not sit well with Cunningham.
<div id="attachment_938293" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-938293" class="wp-image-938293 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2220133971-864x576.jpg" alt="Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) and Connecticut Sun guard Jacy Sheldon (4) interact leading to Cunningham and Sheldon being ejected during a WNBA game between the Connecticut Sun and the Indiana Fever on June 17, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. " width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2220133971-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2220133971-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2220133971-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2220133971.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</div>
&#8220;It was just part of the game,&#8221; Cunningham told the press. &#8220;I think the refs had a lot to do with that. It was a build-up for a couple years now of them just not protecting the star player of the WNBA.&#8221;
&#8220;At the end of the day, I&#8217;m going to protect my teammates,&#8221; she added. &#8220;That&#8217;s what I do.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“It’s been a build up for a couple of years now, of them not protecting the star player of the WNBA.” <a href="https://t.co/FOavJEu4qY">pic.twitter.com/FOavJEu4qY</a>
— Ken Swift (@kenswift) <a href="https://twitter.com/kenswift/status/1936546299886674250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
During last week&#8217;s game against the Suns, a number of technical fouls were handed down by the referees after Clark got her eye poked and chaos ensued. Stephanie White, coach of the Fever, blamed the referees for letting the game get out of hand. Clark, a frequent target of cheap shots in the league and the recipient of one of those technical fouls, nodded along in agreement.
“I think it was pretty obvious that stuff was brewing, right?” White told the press post-game. “When the officials don&#8217;t get control of the ballgame, when they allow that stuff to happen, and it&#8217;s been happening all season long … you&#8217;ve got competitive women who are the best in the world at what they do, and when you allow them to play physical, and you allow these things to happen, they&#8217;re going to compete, and they&#8217;re going to have their teammates&#8217; backs. It&#8217;s exactly what you expect out of fierce competition. I started talking to the officials in the first quarter, and we knew this was going to happen. You could tell it was going to happen. So they got to get control of it. They got to be better.”
<div id="attachment_938283" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-938283" class="wp-image-938283 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2212971646-384x576.jpg" alt="Justin Casterline/Getty Images" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2212971646-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2212971646-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2212971646.jpg 683w" sizes="(max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" />Justin Casterline/Getty Images</div>
As for Cunningham, the guard&#8217;s popularity has only blown up since she got ejected on Tuesday. On X, posts with the player&#8217;s background, highlights of her feisty playing on the court, and her pre-game looks have garnered massive attention.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
After having Caitlin Clark’s back, everyone will know who Sophie Cunningham is now. 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/Z9LtdyOfZc">pic.twitter.com/Z9LtdyOfZc</a>
— 👉M-Û-R-Č-H👈 (@TheEXECUTlONER_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEXECUTlONER_/status/1935410279652745227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
As <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/sophie-cunningham-calls-out-wnba-not-protecting-caitlin-clark-after-starting-fight-protect-her">highlighted</a> by Fox News, Cunningham comes from a farming family, and says her success derives from those experiences. &#8220;So much of our success goes back to what we learned here,&#8221; Cunningham said. &#8220;We loved coming out to the farm to help. We found out how to work hard and work together. It made us farm strong.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/shorts/46fef763-6804-4d78-b45f-e4f1e6140a73?elementPosition=2&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Shorts&amp;rowType=Shorts+Carousel">Is the WNBA trying to make Caitlin Clark a villain?</a>

Washington Mystics v Indiana Fever

WNBA Player Rips Refs For Allowing Cheap Shots On Caitlin Clark, Says She Had To Act

Caitlin Clark

General

Sports

U.S.

WNBA

Women's Basketball

The venue for a Santa Fe event celebrating Title IX and girls&#8217; sports canceled at the last minute, accusing organizers of misrepresenting what they claimed was a &#8220;partisan political event&#8221; and leaving them scrambling.
On Sunday, the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute canceled Independent Women&#8217;s Forum&#8217;s &#8220;Her Game. Her Legacy.&#8221; <a href="https://www.hergameherlegacy.com">event</a>, which was <a href="https://www.iwf.org/2025/06/17/independent-women-to-host-title-ix-anniversary-event-in-new-mexico-celebrating-womens-sports/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scheduled</a> to take place at the venue about 24 hours later.
The venue posted on Facebook that the event&#8217;s description as a &#8220;Celebration for Athletes and Families&#8221; was &#8220;fundamentally misleading as the event described today in media reports is a partisan political event.&#8221;
The venue also said it would be &#8220;unable to accommodate&#8221; the event&#8217;s &#8220;levels of security&#8221; and press conference, claiming the Independent Women&#8217;s Forum did not disclose these requirements.
&#8220;As much as we support free speech, we want to make it clear that SFFMI is in disagreement with the message and intent of this particular event,&#8221; the venue said.
The venue&#8217;s abrupt cancelation came after a New Mexico news outlet <a href="https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/trump-transgender-policies-driving-state-bus-tour-that-starts-in-santa-fe/article_f55d5ebd-aaae-4997-a14d-68ec0cf77075.html">published</a> a story about the women&#8217;s sports event that also said New Mexico has been &#8220;doubling down on protecting transgender rights.&#8221;
Independent Women&#8217;s Forum said they had no idea their event was canceled until they saw the venue&#8217;s Facebook post.
The group plans to sue the venue.
&#8220;This is not a rally. This is not any type of political event. It&#8217;s a non-partisan, non-political celebration,&#8221; Beth Parlato, senior legal advisor at Independent Women’s Law Center, told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;We had a contract. It is a nine-page contract, a legal and binding contract, and it&#8217;s pretty solid,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They don&#8217;t agree with our message, so they have canceled us. And it&#8217;s illegal. So in our opinion, our legal opinion, they have breached the contract. They have discriminated against Independent Women. And they have violated our First Amendment rights by acknowledging that they don&#8217;t agree with our message, so they&#8217;re not allowing us on their property. So we will file lawsuits.&#8221;
&#8220;Our intention is to serve them with a lawsuit because we&#8217;re not letting them get away with it. We did not do all of this to get canceled by a small group of people who chooses not to support girls. So it&#8217;s unconscionable what they&#8217;re doing,&#8221; Parlato said.
The group had brought a massive amount of resources to Santa Fe for the event including more than 20 staff, a pink carpet for athletes to walk down, face painters and bounce houses for children, and much more.
Meanwhile, they also had their registered speakers and guests and had been marketing the event heavily for about two weeks, said Victoria Coley, the group&#8217;s vice president of communications.
&#8220;They&#8217;re not just canceling our event. They are canceling little girls. They are betraying girls and women, female athletes. They&#8217;re canceling all of that,&#8221; Coley said.
However, thanks to the general manager of the hotel where Independent Women&#8217;s Forum staff was staying, the event now has a new venue and is still full speed ahead.
He met the group in the lobby and asked what he could do to help.
The event is still scheduled for Monday at 1 p.m., but <a href="https://www.iwf.org/2025/06/22/targeted-slandered-but-not-silenced-independent-women-relocates-new-mexico-title-ix-celebration-after-discrimination-and-falsehoods/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will now be held</a> at the Inn and Spa at Loretto, less than a mile from the original venue.
Monday is the 53rd anniversary of Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination at schools receiving federal funding.
The event also kicks off a bus tour celebrating women&#8217;s sports that will visit all 33 New Mexico counties.
Speakers for the event will include Education Secretary Linda McMahon, New Mexico parents, and also female athletes and coaches who have been outspoken in their advocacy for girls&#8217; sports such as Payton McNabb, who was injured by a trans-identifying player and suffered a traumatic brain injury, and Kim Russell, former head coach of the women’s lacrosse team at Oberlin College.
The free family-friendly event will also include games, music, food, and female athletes will still be able to walk down their pink carpet.
The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute <a href="https://farmersmarketinstitute.org/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> its mission includes &#8220;equity&#8221; and, perhaps ironically, &#8220;kindness.&#8221;
&#8220;We demonstrate KINDNESS through our commitment to respectful social interactions with each other and with visitors to the Market,&#8221; the Institute says on its website.

AiG9kPtw

EXCLUSIVE: Venue Tries To Cancel Girls Sports Event, Organizers Say They’ll Hold It Anyway

EXCLUSIVE: Venue Tries To Cancel Girls Sports Event, Organizers Say They'll Hold It Anyway

Title IX

Women Sports

There are few institutions in this country that have disgraced themselves more thoroughly in recent days than the little-known Champlin Park High School in Champlin, Minnesota. This is the school that just won the Class 4A Minnesota Girls&#8217; State softball championship by fielding a male as their star pitcher in every single game.
This male pitcher, a 17-year-old junior named Charlie &#8220;Marissa&#8221; Rothenberger, pitched all 21 innings across three games of the girls&#8217; championship tournament (because they play 7-inning games in softball). And what do you know? Champlin Park won all three games. Rothenberger capped off his performance by throwing a complete-game shut-out, allowing only three hits in the process. And that&#8217;s just the championship round. He also pitched a complete-game shutout in the quarterfinals. Overall, in the entire postseason, Rothenberger allowed only two runs in 35 innings.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
And that’ll do it &#8211; Champlin Park wins the Class 4A Minnesota state softball championship, beating Bloomington Jefferson 6-0.
Marissa Rothenberger pitched a complete-game shutout and gave up only 3 hits. <a href="https://t.co/4uS7aSejqS">pic.twitter.com/4uS7aSejqS</a>
&mdash; Amber Harding Snyder (@TheAmberHarding) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAmberHarding/status/1931016097718820893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: Amber Harding Snyder
Everyone involved in this farce — from the school district to the coaches to the parents to the athlete himself — should be barred from any kind of competitive activity for the rest of their lives. They should face more serious consequences, which may indeed be coming. (The school district has already been sued). But at the moment, like most cheaters, these people seem to have convinced themselves that they did nothing wrong.
In interviews, Rothenberger and his coach have suggested that they&#8217;re simply better competitors than their opponents. They managed to vary their pitch types and pitch speeds, and their opponents just didn&#8217;t measure up. Here&#8217;s an interview from last season to give you an idea:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Champlin Park Softball Wins 15th Straight With 2-1 Victory Over Chaska" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3X1tR6Kw8G8?start=81&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&nbsp;
Watching this coach speak, any sane person has to fight to suppress their vomit reflex. Imagine celebrating your sports acumen, and acting like you&#8217;re some incredible coach with an incredible team, when you have a boy pitching every single one of your games in a girls&#8217; softball league. The gall that&#8217;s required to stand there, with a straight face, as you cheat in the most flagrant way imaginable — while pretending everything is completely normal — is actually hard to comprehend. &#8220;Pathetic&#8221; does not begin to describe it. And of course, the parents who allow this man to coach their daughters, as he teaches them how to cheat, are just as culpable. Everything about this story is revolting.
And the school district knows that. So does the league. That&#8217;s why they&#8217;ve locked down their social media posts, so that no one can reply to them. Here&#8217;s what the Minnesota State High School League <a href="https://x.com/MSHSL/status/1931023458311282993">posted</a>, before locking the comments: &#8220;Meet Champlin Park, the Class 4A Softball State Champion for 2025.&#8221; And then they attach a team picture, including the boy who dominated the competition.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mws-ep-1612-member-exclusive?elementPosition=1&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h3>
Riley Gaines noticed the league&#8217;s decision to censor replies. And to point out the league&#8217;s cowardice, <a href="https://x.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1931057465887728023">she wrote</a>: 
<blockquote>Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy.</blockquote>
As we discussed earlier this week, Gaines&#8217; post sent Simone Biles, the Olympic gymnast, into a frenzy. She accused Gaines of &#8220;bullying&#8221; the trans-identifying athlete. Biles <a href="https://x.com/Simone_Biles/status/1931129527679308054">also wrote</a>: 
<blockquote>You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!!</blockquote>
And then for good measure, Biles followed up <a href="https://x.com/Simone_Biles/status/1931130395728498927">by writing</a>: 
<blockquote>bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.</blockquote>
The other day, we talked about all of the reasons why this rant was highly ironic (especially since Simone Biles isn&#8217;t exactly known for her sportsmanship, or for her feminine appearance). We also discussed why her idea of a &#8220;trans-only league&#8221; is idiotic for about a million reasons. For one thing, there wouldn&#8217;t be enough players, nor would anyone want to watch them play.
Additionally, you&#8217;d have to decide how to classify the non-binaries and the demisexuals and the 50,000 other genders. Do they play with trans men or trans women? Do we need a separate league for every gender? Things could get pretty complicated, especially when the trans furries show up and refuse to wear the standard uniforms. And of course, on top of all of these problems, a &#8220;trans-only league&#8221; makes no sense because the current system — of dividing athletes based on biological reality and not fantasy — works perfectly fine.
So those are just a few problems with Simone Biles&#8217; tweets. Additionally, a few people also pointed out that Simone Biles&#8217; position was also hypocritical, because back in 2017, she wrote <a href="https://x.com/Simone_Biles/status/918328165478666240">on Twitter</a>: 
<blockquote>good thing guys don&#8217;t compete against girls or he&#8217;d take all the gold medals !!</blockquote>
Presumably, that post was written before Simone Biles had lost her mind. But in 2025, Simone Biles, as with so many other prominent public figures, is completely subservient to Leftist ideology. And more than that, she&#8217;s vindictive and openly hostile towards anyone who expresses a contrary position — even if it&#8217;s the position that most Americans hold, and the one that happens to correspond with reality.
Here&#8217;s what elevates this story beyond a typical social media spat. Five years ago, for these posts attacking Riley Gaines, Simone Biles would&#8217;ve received unrelenting praise from every organ of the Left. The media would be asking her how she managed to be so brave in the face of Riley Gaines&#8217; fascism. Activist groups would be clamoring to invite her to speaking engagements. Every podcast would be elevating her as a kind of trans messiah. And then they would&#8217;ve had Riley Gaines banned from the Internet, of course. That&#8217;s how things used to work. In 2020, to give just one of many examples, the comedian Graham Linehan was permanently banned from Twitter for tweeting, &#8220;men aren&#8217;t women tho.&#8221; That&#8217;s all it took five years ago. You&#8217;d get dogpiled and permanently censored for stating the truth about human biology.
<h3><a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a></h3>
But that&#8217;s not what happens anymore. Very few prominent people came out to defend Simone Biles after her post. Instead, she was excoriated by almost everyone. The backlash was so significant that, just a few days after the initial posts, Simone Biles put out a lengthy statement apologizing to Riley Gaines. 
Here&#8217;s what <a href="https://x.com/Simone_Biles/status/1932470954610901259">she posted</a>:
<blockquote>I wanted to follow up from my last tweets. I’ve always believed competitive equity &amp; inclusivity are both essential in sport. The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for.</blockquote>
The statement continues for a bit, but it&#8217;s worth taking a second to think about the words &#8220;competitive equity,&#8221; because it&#8217;s a real triumph of word salad. What exactly is &#8220;competitive equity?&#8221; Of course, when Leftists say &#8220;equity,&#8221; we know what they mean. They mean allowing certain demographics — like self-identifying trans people — to gain advantages over others. But that&#8217;s fundamentally incompatible with the idea of competition. The whole point of equity is to eliminate competition, so that the Left&#8217;s preferred groups win.
But if you can make it past the oxymoron, Simone Biles does get around to apologizing. And then she <a href="https://x.com/Simone_Biles/status/1932470954610901259">writes this</a>:
<blockquote>These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don’t have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect. I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women’s sports. My objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful. Individual athletes—especially kids—should never be the focus of criticism of a flawed system they have no control over. I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition. We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful. Xoxo Simone.</blockquote>
As far as apologies go, this one obviously should&#8217;ve gone much further. She should&#8217;ve dropped the word salad and stated that boys don&#8217;t belong in girls&#8217; sports, period. And many conservatives are pointing out that her statement sounds phony, like it was crafted by a PR agency or an AI program. They don&#8217;t believe that it&#8217;s sincere. And they&#8217;re right about all of that, of course.
But they&#8217;re also missing the point. The fact that a very famous and popular public figure felt the need to apologize and issue a PR statement after tweeting in support of the trans agenda is a clear sign of a very significant sea change in our culture. It&#8217;s not really important that the statement was insincere or incomplete. What&#8217;s important is that this series of events — any kind of retreat by Simone Biles in this scenario — would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
It&#8217;s yet another sign of just how thoroughly the Right has won on the issue of gender ideology. If this had happened in, say, 2021, there would have been a whole army of public figures circling the wagons around Simone Biles. That didn&#8217;t happen this time. And that&#8217;s particularly notable because it&#8217;s supposedly &#8220;Pride Month.&#8221; Remember Pride Month? This is supposed to be the time of year when trans activists become even more unhinged and hostile than they normally are. They&#8217;re supposed to be emboldened. They&#8217;re supposed to loudly shut down people like Riley Gaines. They&#8217;re supposed to dominate the conversation, so that no one is allowed to point out that a male just won a girls&#8217; softball tournament.
But no one&#8217;s talking about Pride Month anymore. LGBT activists are too demoralized and discredited to &#8220;celebrate&#8221; at the moment. That&#8217;s the same reason they&#8217;re not defending Simone Biles. It&#8217;s why she was forced to apologize. And it&#8217;s why the Minnesota high school softball league had to shut down its social media feeds. 
Every single one of these liars is aware of the fact that they&#8217;ve lost most of their public support. Yes, technically speaking, Champlin Park High School was named the winner of the state girls&#8217; softball championship. But, as you watch the players and the coaches gloat, it&#8217;s hard not to be reminded of all the other frauds throughout history who simply took things too far, too quickly. Pathetic institutions like Champlin Park High School and the Minnesota State Softball League, along with cowardly mouthpieces like Simone Biles, no longer have the cultural power they had just a few years ago. And with this latest apology — even if it was generated by a PR firm using ChatGPT — it&#8217;s evident that Simone Biles and the rest of the LGBT cult are slowly coming around to the reality of their own irrelevance.

2025 Laureus World Sport Awards Madrid – Winners Walk

The LGBT Movement Is Collapsing, And Simone Biles’ Apology Proves It

gender ideology

LGBT

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Riley Gaines

Simone Biles

Transgender Athletes

Simone Biles apologized to Riley Gaines on Tuesday for their online spat over trans-identifying males in women&#8217;s sports, the Olympic gymnast adding that she believes the current women&#8217;s sports system is &#8220;flawed.&#8221;
The two athletes clashed on Friday when Biles attacked Gaines seemingly out of the blue, calling the former University of Kentucky swimmer a &#8220;sore loser&#8221; and telling her to &#8220;bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.&#8221;
&#8220;I wanted to follow up from my last tweets,&#8221; Biles posted Tuesday on X. &#8220;I’ve always believed competitive equity &amp; inclusivity are both essential in sport. The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I wanted to follow up from my last tweets. I’ve always believed competitive equity &amp; inclusivity are both essential in sport. The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me…
&mdash; Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) <a href="https://twitter.com/Simone_Biles/status/1932470954610901259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is so disappointing. My take is the least controversial take on the planet. 
Simone Biles being a male-apologist at the expense of young girls’ dreams? Didn’t have that on my bingo card.
Maybe she could compete in pommel horse and rings in 2028. <a href="https://t.co/Ptn35pyEvh">https://t.co/Ptn35pyEvh</a>
&mdash; Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1931134784241119360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
Biles claimed she did not mean to push policies that &#8220;compromise fairness&#8221; in women’s sports.
&#8220;These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don’t have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect. I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women’s sports,&#8221; Biles said. &#8220;My objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful. Individual athletes — especially kids — should never be the focus of criticism of a flawed system they have no control over.&#8221;
&#8220;I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition. We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful,&#8221; she said.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
Biles had initially responded to a post from Gaines last week criticizing a high school girls&#8217; softball team that won a state championship after the team&#8217;s trans-identifying male pitcher <a href="https://cbsaustin.com/news/nation-world/transgender-pitcher-leads-champlin-park-to-win-sparking-controversy-in-minnesota-sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pitched</a> five straight games in which he gave up just one run.
&#8220;Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male,&#8221; Biles told Gaines.
The Olympian also posted, &#8220;You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser,&#8221; adding that Gaines should be &#8220;uplifting the trans community.&#8221;
&#8220;But instead… You bully them… One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!&#8221; Biles said.
Gaines responded, telling Biles her comments were &#8220;disappointing.&#8221;
&#8220;This is so disappointing. My take is the least controversial take on the planet. Simone Biles being a male-apologist at the expense of young girls’ dreams? Didn’t have that on my bingo card. Maybe she could compete in pommel horse and rings in 2028,&#8221; Gaines posted.
Gaines&#8217; 2022 tie with trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas, after which Thomas was given the trophy, helped <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/04/04/swimmer-who-tied-lia-thomas-taken-aback-in-trophy-handling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ignite</a> the battle to keep men out of women’s sports.
After Biles&#8217; apology on Tuesday, Gaines quickly responded.
&#8220;I accept Simone&#8217;s apology for the personal attacks including the ones where she body-shamed me. I know she knows what this feels like. She&#8217;s still the greatest female gymnast of all time,&#8221; Gaines posted on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I accept Simone&#39;s apology for the personal attacks including the ones where she body-shamed me. I know she knows what this feels like. She&#39;s still the greatest female gymnast of all time.
A couple of things. Sports ARE inclusive by nature. Anyone can and everyone SHOULD play… <a href="https://t.co/V8YbMvs3xf">https://t.co/V8YbMvs3xf</a>
&mdash; Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1932493510868906128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Gaines added that competition &#8220;by definition is exclusive.&#8221;
&#8220;To suggest that women and girls must be silent or ignore a boy who is PUBLICLY hurting or humiliating them is wrong,&#8221; Gaines said. &#8220;You can&#8217;t have any empathy and compassion for the girls if you&#8217;re ignoring when young men are harming or abusing them. I am not ashamed to be a voice for the voiceless.&#8221;
Gaines added that she agrees that the blame is on lawmakers and leaders, which she said is why she is suing the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and joined President Donald Trump when he signed an executive order on women&#8217;s sports.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t see you there or championing this effort with your platform,&#8221; Gaines told Biles, adding that she welcomes Biles to the &#8220;fight to support fair sports and a future for female athletes. Little girls deserve the same shot to achieve that you had.&#8221;

Gymnastics – Artistic – Olympics: Day 4

‘I Apologize’: Simone Biles Backs Down In Riley Gaines Spat, Calls For ‘Fair Competition’

Gender

LGBTQ

Olympics

Social Issues

Transgender

Women's sports

Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles picked a fight with former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines on Friday — over a boy who led his high school&#8217;s girls&#8217; softball team to a state championship — but it was Gaines who stuck the landing.
Gaines raised the topic by sharing a photo of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boy-pitches-complete-game-shutout-to-win-girls-softball-championship">championship team</a>, noting that the Minnesota State High School League had turned off the comments feature on the post: &#8220;To be expected when your star player is a boy.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Comments off lol
To be expected when your star player is a boy <a href="https://t.co/2qY2onUhNW">https://t.co/2qY2onUhNW</a>
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1931057465887728023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Biles went on the attack then, delivering personal insults and saying, &#8220;You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!! But instead … You bully them … One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is actually so disappointing. It&#8217;s not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces.
You can uplift men stealing championships in women&#8217;s sports with YOUR platform.
Men don&#8217;t belong in women&#8217;s sports and I say that with my full chest.
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1931130376509919663?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;This is actually so disappointing. It&#8217;s not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces,&#8221; Gaines fired back. &#8220;You can uplift men stealing championships in women&#8217;s sports with YOUR platform. Men don&#8217;t belong in women&#8217;s sports and I say that with my full chest.&#8221;
But it didn&#8217;t end there. Biles tried another avenue, this time resorting to insults aimed at Gaines&#8217; physical appearance.
&#8220;Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male,&#8221; she said.
Gaines repeated, &#8220;This is so disappointing. My take is the least controversial take on the planet. Simone Biles being a male-apologist at the expense of young girls’ dreams? Didn’t have that on my bingo card. Maybe she could compete in pommel horse and rings in 2028.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
And the subtle hint at &#8220;body-shaming&#8221; ???? Plzzzz I&#8217;m 5&#8217;5&#8243; 😂😂😂😂
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1931134787047030804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;And the subtle hint at &#8216;body-shaming&#8217;???? Plzzzz I&#8217;m 5&#8217;5&#8243;,&#8221; Gaines added.
&#8220;All the horrific sexual abuse @Simone_Biles witnessed and spoke out against caused by one man, yet believes women should be forced to strip naked in front of men to validate the man&#8217;s feelings. You know how many gold medals you&#8217;d have if your &#8216;inclusive&#8217; dream came true? Zero,&#8221; Gaines added later.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
All the horrific sexual abuse <a href="https://twitter.com/Simone_Biles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Simone_Biles</a> witnessed and spoke out against caused by one man, yet believes women should be forced to strip naked in front of men to validate the man&#8217;s feelings.
You know how many gold medals you&#8217;d have if your &#8220;inclusive&#8221; dream came true? Zero. <a href="https://t.co/VycE1BvAMP">pic.twitter.com/VycE1BvAMP</a>
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1931170620324139504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Detransitioner and activist Chloe Cole weighed in as well, telling Biles, &#8220;Tearing down other women just to please men and their fetish isn’t as progressive as you think. Your backwards stereotyping and bullying isn’t only disgusting, it’s also just wrong. Ironically if you wanted to bully someone your own size, you’d have to fight Dobby the elf.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tearing down other women just to please men and their fetish isn’t as progressive as you think.
Your backwards stereotyping and bullying isn’t only disgusting, it’s also just wrong.
Ironically if you wanted to bully someone your own size, you’d have to fight Dobby the elf.
— Chloe Cole ⭐️ (@ChoooCole) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChoooCole/status/1931140446228824442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Photo courtesy of Riley Gaines

Simone Biles Defends Boys In Girls’ Sports, Picks The Wrong Day To Fight With Riley Gaines

Simone Biles Defends Boys In Girls' Sports, Picks The Wrong Day To Fight With Riley Gaines

Politics

In what some expected to be a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/05/06/pride-month-defections-dei-backlash/83376447007/">tamed-down</a> &#8220;Pride Month&#8221; this year due to companies and organizations ditching diversity, equity, and inclusion goals, the MLB is going all in on LGBT festivities.
While the list of MLB teams promoting &#8220;Pride Month&#8221; on social media has grown smaller from 2024 to 2025, 29 of the 30 teams in the league will still celebrate the LGBT lifestyle with a &#8220;Pride Night&#8221; this month. From Atlanta and Kansas City to Cleveland and Phoenix, &#8220;Pride Nights&#8221; are coming to nearly every major league ballpark as every team in the MLB, except the Texas Rangers, has scheduled an LGBT celebration during the month of June.
The <a href="https://www.mlb.com/mariners/tickets/specials/pride">Seattle Mariners</a> will host two &#8220;Pride Night&#8221; events, the first on June 4 vs. the Baltimore Orioles and the second on June 13 vs. the Cleveland Guardians. The team writes on its website, &#8220;We have two amazing Pride Themed Ticket Specials on deck this season – don’t miss your chance to score a Belt Bag on June 4 and Stanley-style Tumbler on June 13. Plus, each night, $5 of every ticket sold will benefit the GSBA [an LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce] Scholarship Fund and Seattle Pride, respectively.&#8221;
The Atlanta Braves, meanwhile, are <a href="https://www.mlb.com/braves/tickets/specials/pride">hosting</a> a &#8220;Pride Night&#8221; on June 3 vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks, which includes &#8220;a pregame party&#8221; and &#8220;a Braves Pride t-shirt.&#8221;
At the historic Fenway Park in Boston, the Red Sox will celebrate &#8220;Pride Month&#8221; against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 9. At the game, fans will have the option to purchase a Red Sox &#8220;Pride&#8221; <a href="https://www.mlb.com/redsox/tickets/promotions/cultural-and-identity-celebrations/pride">hat</a>. The Colorado Rockies, who currently hold the worst record in the MLB, will host a &#8220;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/rockies/tickets/specials/themes/pride">Pride Night</a>&#8221; on June 6 vs. the New York Mets, where &#8220;a portion of each ticket package sold will benefit The Center on Colfax, Colorado’s largest LGBTQIA+ resource and community center, and One Colorado, the state&#8217;s leading advocacy organization for LGBTQIA+ rights.&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=memorial&amp;utm_content=editorialmemorialday&amp;_gl=1*1qdq03s*_gcl_au*MTYyNDg0MTE0OS4xNzQxODk4NTMz*_ga*MTEzOTk1NjkxNi4xNzI2MzI1MDQz*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*czE3NDgzNzg2NDgkbzEwMDMkZzEkdDE3NDgzODEwMTckajU4JGwwJGgw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
The Rangers are the only MLB team that has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rangers-pride-mlb-lgbtq-56ce863b94a0d3fde951f9dec14b84b4">never</a> waded into the LGBT messaging during &#8220;Pride Month.&#8221; In response to questions about skipping &#8220;Pride Month&#8221; events, the team stated last year, “Our longstanding commitment remains the same: To make everyone feel welcome and included in Rangers baseball — in our ballpark, at every game, and in all we do — for both our fans and our employees. We deliver on that promise across our many programs to have a positive impact across our entire community.”
While nearly every team is once again throwing a &#8220;Pride Night,&#8221; fewer clubs celebrated &#8220;Pride Month&#8221; on social media on June 1 this year compared to 2024. Only six teams changed their official logos on social media to include some version of the &#8220;Pride&#8221; flag, while another 11 teams wrote a post acknowledging &#8220;Pride Month.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_928219" style="width: 586px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-928219" class="wp-image-928219 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MixCollage-02-Jun-2025-02-01-PM-9610-576x576.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MixCollage-02-Jun-2025-02-01-PM-9610-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MixCollage-02-Jun-2025-02-01-PM-9610-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MixCollage-02-Jun-2025-02-01-PM-9610-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MixCollage-02-Jun-2025-02-01-PM-9610-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MixCollage-02-Jun-2025-02-01-PM-9610-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MixCollage-02-Jun-2025-02-01-PM-9610-2048x2048.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" />X Screengrabs: Mets, Orioles, Nationals, Phillies, Giants, Rays</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Happy Pride Month! <a href="https://t.co/8cxQkV5wbm">pic.twitter.com/8cxQkV5wbm</a>
&mdash; Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/1929222466997743758?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Happy Pride Month! <a href="https://t.co/TjG4fzAEjx">pic.twitter.com/TjG4fzAEjx</a>
&mdash; New York Yankees (@Yankees) <a href="https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1929277462443139181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
June is Pride Month. We are proud to celebrate and support our LGBTQ+ community through advocacy and partnerships with organizations, like Center on Halsted and Howard Brown Health! 🏳️‍🌈
&mdash; Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) <a href="https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/1929182056602378425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Baseball is for everyone 🏳️‍🌈
Celebrate Pride at Comerica Park on June 25th with a special ticket package that includes a Pride bucket hat!
&mdash; Detroit Tigers (@tigers) <a href="https://twitter.com/tigers/status/1929196807168421968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Baseball is for everyone. 🏳️‍🌈<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrideMonth?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrideMonth</a> <a href="https://t.co/89axq3y1Xl">pic.twitter.com/89axq3y1Xl</a>
&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1929161008989565403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Happy Pride Month, Twins Territory! All are welcome here 🩷🩵🤎🖤❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 <a href="https://t.co/er0IcdPGR7">pic.twitter.com/er0IcdPGR7</a>
&mdash; Minnesota Twins (@Twins) <a href="https://twitter.com/Twins/status/1929174897378353323?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Happy Pride Month ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 <a href="https://t.co/ZOluis37Rc">pic.twitter.com/ZOluis37Rc</a>
&mdash; Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mariners/status/1929177363537105149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h3></h3>
<div id="attachment_928147" style="width: 437px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-928147" class="wp-image-928147 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-02-at-1.17.29%E2%80%AFPM-427x576.png" alt="" width="427" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-02-at-1.17.29%E2%80%AFPM-427x576.png 427w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-02-at-1.17.29%E2%80%AFPM-222x300.png 222w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-02-at-1.17.29%E2%80%AFPM-768x1036.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-02-at-1.17.29%E2%80%AFPM.png 1082w" sizes="(max-width: 427px) 100vw, 427px" />Screenshot: Blue Jays &#8211; X</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Baseball is for everyone 🫶 <a href="https://t.co/WwBCtThPKD">pic.twitter.com/WwBCtThPKD</a>
&mdash; Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dbacks/status/1929208206468993178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Happy Pride! 
Celebrate at Coors Field with us on 6/6 ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/YQ3yJZOdtN">https://t.co/YQ3yJZOdtN</a> <a href="https://t.co/h465BoNGlT">pic.twitter.com/h465BoNGlT</a>
&mdash; Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rockies/status/1929197321675239796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We are <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BurghProud?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BurghProud</a> 🏳️‍🌈
To kick off Pride Month, we joined the <a href="https://twitter.com/penguins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@penguins</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/steelers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@steelers</a>, and the city of Pittsburgh to spread acceptance, inclusivity, and love at the Pittsburgh Pride Parade this morning. <a href="https://t.co/76bLH1KHjr">pic.twitter.com/76bLH1KHjr</a>
&mdash; Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pirates/status/1929251294943863262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Fenway Park Pride Night

Doubling Down: 29 Of MLB’s 30 Teams Celebrate ‘Pride Month’

Baseball

Pride Month

President Donald Trump imposes a deadline on Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Democratic Party loses ground with young people and men, and controversy continues to swirl around WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
It’s Friday, May 30, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here: 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Trump Pressures Putin &amp; Is the WNBA Racist?" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lLZusCUYnMk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trumps-red-line-wnba-race-controversy-5-30-25/id1576594336?i=1000710537616" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2>Trump&#8217;s Red Line</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-927095" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_07.Still004.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_07.Still004.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_07.Still004-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: In a flurry of activity, the president appeared to give Russian President Vladimir Putin an ultimatum this week, and vowed to push ahead with tariffs despite a roadblock in the courts.
After a recent barrage of Russian airstrikes against Ukrainian cities, Trump has become far more critical of his counterpart in Moscow, accusing Putin of intentionally stalling on peace negotiations. Putin promised last week to deliver a peace proposal to progress formal talks, but so far, no such progress has been made. The Kremlin will only say that its proposal is in its “final stages.”
“We’ll find out whether or not he’s tapping us along or not and if he is, we’ll respond a little bit differently,” Trump said in an apparent ultimatum. “But it will take about a week and a half to two weeks.” Last weekend, the president <a href="https://x.com/Mylovanov/status/1927808946187759920">said</a> he was strongly considering new retaliatory sanctions on Moscow, but in recent days, he’s walked back that idea, saying he didn’t want to hinder a potential peace agreement.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=memorial&amp;utm_content=editorialmemorialday&amp;_gl=1*1qdq03s*_gcl_au*MTYyNDg0MTE0OS4xNzQxODk4NTMz*_ga*MTEzOTk1NjkxNi4xNzI2MzI1MDQz*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*czE3NDgzNzg2NDgkbzEwMDMkZzEkdDE3NDgzODEwMTckajU4JGwwJGgw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Meanwhile, on Wednesday night, a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of International Trade struck down dozens of President Trump’s tariffs on countries worldwide. Trump invoked the Emergency Economic Powers Act to implement those tariffs, arguing fentanyl trafficking and trade deficits constituted a national emergency, but the court ruled that Trump “exceed[ed] any authority granted to the President” by the act. On Thursday morning, a second federal court in D.C. issued a similar ruling, saying Trump’s tariffs were unlawful.
The first ruling was put on hold by a federal appeals court on Thursday afternoon, which ruled in Trump’s favor — it said all tariffs can remain in place while the court reviews the case. The Trump administration says it won’t be slowed down, referring to the rulings as a hiccup — and it is confident the decision will be overturned on appeal and won’t impact ongoing trade talks.
And, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this week that the administration would work to “aggressively revoke” the visas of Chinese exchange students with ties to the Communist Party, along with those studying in “critical fields.” Chinese students account for 20% of all student visas — the State Department has for years warned that many of these students work with the CCP to smuggle sensitive research data and other intellectual property back to Beijing.
<h2>Democrats Hit Rock Bottom</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-927093" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_17.Still002.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_17.Still002.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_17.Still002-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: Democrats are struggling to connect with American men, a demographic that played a crucial role in putting Trump back in the White House. A recent report leaked to The New York Times highlights the party’s $20 million plan to win them back.
Democrats are facing a crisis of perception and policy — the party’s approval rating has plummeted to 27%, the lowest since 1990. Young men in particular have shifted rightward, with many feeling alienated by the Democratic Party’s messaging and drawn to the GOP’s bold, unapologetic style, exemplified by the head of the party himself — Trump. A focus group cited in the Times report found that voters see Democrats as “tortoises” or “sloths” — slow and passive — compared to Republicans, who are viewed as aggressive “apex predators.”
Working-class counties with lower median incomes have seen young men gravitate toward the GOP, which they perceive as the better choice for addressing their economic concerns, like job security and cost of living. Young white men, particularly those without college degrees, feel that the Democrats’ focus on social issues — like gender identity or systemic racism — demonizes them. Many resented the Biden administration’s heavy push for DEI policies. Meanwhile, the GOP’s presence on platforms like YouTube and popular podcasts like Joe Rogan has created a cultural pull that Democrats are struggling to counter.
In response, the Democrats have a $20 million initiative called “American Men: A Strategic Plan&#8221; that will &#8220;study the syntax, language and content that gains attention and virality in these spaces&#8221; of male voters. The focus is on digital outreach, emphasizing platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and podcasts.
“[There’s been] a huge shift in the way the media landscape work[s],” pollster Carly Cooperman told The Daily Wire. “I think we saw Democrats wary of going on some of these podcasts that lean culturally conservative, or where Republicans were going on, but that is the shifting landscape, and that is where people are reaching men, and particularly younger men.”
<h2>WNBA Race Bait</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-927091" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still003.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still003.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still003-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: Caitlin Clark continues to draw strong ratings for the WNBA, while the league finds itself engulfed in racial controversy.
The WNBA is just two weeks into the 2025 season, but it only took one game for the league to investigate accusations of racism. Caitlin Clark’s team, the Indiana Fever, played the Chicago Sky on May 17, and Clark was called for a flagrant foul following a physical interaction with her rival, Angel Reese. After the foul, Reese began to come after Clark and taunt her. Clark’s team went on to win in a total blowout.
Neither team mentioned any fan remarks in the postgame news conferences afterward, but allegations of “hateful” remarks supposedly directed at Reese, who is black, quickly became a topic on social media. The WNBA announced within a few hours that it would investigate those claims.
“Obviously, there’s no place in this league for that,” Reese said. “I think the WNBA and our team and our organization has done a great job supporting me. … Going through this whole process, if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.”
After about a week of trying to find any evidence of racist fan behavior against Reese, the league announced that it found none. “We have investigated the report of racist fan behavior in the vicinity of the court during the May 17, 2025, Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever game. Based on information gathered to date, including from relevant fans, team and arena staff, as well as audio and video review of the game, we have not substantiated it.” The league went on to ensure everyone knows it is committed to “fostering a safe and inclusive environment for everyone” and that it would “continue to be vigilant in enforcing our fan code of conduct.”
Many across the country are calling out the league for giving credence to baseless social media claims. Others have blasted Reese for playing the victim despite the lack of any evidence. Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) wrote on <a href="https://x.com/Jim_Banks/status/1927498571806367843">X</a>, &#8220;Angel Reese owes Indiana fans an apology.”

MRN 053025 Thumbnail_V1

Morning Brief: Trump Draws Red Line For Russia & Dems Hit Rock Bottom

Democratic Party

Donald Trump

Media

Morning Wire

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

An investigation by the Women&#8217;s National Basketball Association (WNBA) found no trace of racism toward the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese during the Sky’s May 17 game against the Indiana Fever.
During the game, the court exploded into momentary chaos after the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark fouled Reese as she attempted a layup. After the game, reports suggested that the tension was further fueled by racist comments from fans.
“We have investigated the report of racist fan behavior in the vicinity of the court during the May 17, 2025 Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever game. Based on information gathered to date, including the relevant fans, team and arena staff, as well as audio and video review of the game, we have not substantiated it. The WNBA is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for everyone and will continue to be vigilant in enforcing our fan code of conduct,” the WNBA said in a statement on Tuesday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The following has been released by the WNBA. <a href="https://t.co/rFlKQAHmzQ">pic.twitter.com/rFlKQAHmzQ</a>
&mdash; WNBA Communications (@WNBAComms) <a href="https://twitter.com/WNBAComms/status/1927473659964436959?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During the third quarter of an Opening Day bout between the Sky and Fever, Clark was called for a foul on Reese after Reese drove for a basket. Reese initially fell to the floor, but soon was up and ran toward Clark. Clark continued walking back toward the Fever bench.
At the end of the ensuing scuffle, Clark was called for a flagrant foul while Reese and the Fever’s Aliyah Boston received technicals, according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/27/sports/wnba-probe-did-not-find-substantial-evidence-of-fever-fan-racism/">New York Post</a>.
Clark later dismissed controversy over her foul against Reese.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=memorial&amp;utm_content=editorialmemorialday&amp;_gl=1*1qdq03s*_gcl_au*MTYyNDg0MTE0OS4xNzQxODk4NTMz*_ga*MTEzOTk1NjkxNi4xNzI2MzI1MDQz*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*czE3NDgzNzg2NDgkbzEwMDMkZzEkdDE3NDgzODEwMTckajU4JGwwJGgw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
“It&#8217;s just a good take foul, you know? Either Angel gets a wide open two points or, you know, we send them to the free throw line. Nothing malicious about it. It’s just a good take foul. Every basketball player knows that,” Clark <a href="https://x.com/HaterReport_/status/1923846750084768069">said</a>.
The day after the controversy, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/angel-reese-sky-racial-slurs-f77dd6072d1bcb0fc327ed72bbcf0b73">reported</a> that the WNBA was investigating a report of racist slurs hurled at Reese during the game.
“The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms — they have no place in our league or in society,” the basketball league said in a statement at the time. “We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter.”
Reese backed the investigation, <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/wnba/breaking-news/article/wnba-investigation-reports-of-racist-fan-behavior-directed-at-angel-reese-during-fever-sky-game-not-substantiated-224851242.html">saying</a> several days later that “obviously, there&#8217;s no place in this league for that.”
“I think the WNBA and our team and our organization have done a great job supporting me. I&#8217;ve had communication from everyone, from so many people across this league,” she said.
After the alleged racist comments could not be substantiated, Pacers Sports &amp; Entertainment CEO Mel Raines issued a statement reiterating the WNBA’s findings.
&#8220;We appreciate the swift and thorough process undertaken by the WNBA to investigate these allegations, which were not substantiated,” Raines <a href="https://x.com/ItsMeghanLHall/status/1927477305703563404">said</a>.
Chicago Sky President Adam Fox <a href="https://x.com/chicagosky/status/1927490001983426691">thanked</a> the WNBA and Indiana Fever for the “quick action” to investigate the allegations.

Fever-Sky game

HOAX ALERT: WNBA Says It Found No Evidence Of Racism After Clark-Reese Clash

Angel Reese

Every so often you hear about so-called &#8220;uncontacted tribes.&#8221; These are people who have never had any interactions with the outside world. They&#8217;re out in the middle of nowhere, in places like the &#8220;Nicobar Islands&#8221; and the Amazon rainforest. And they&#8217;re obviously interesting to talk about, as evidenced by the millions of people who love watching documentaries and YouTube videos about them. Of course, the reason that these tribes capture people&#8217;s imagination is not because there is anything particularly desirable or admirable about their culture or way of life. Instead, they capture people&#8217;s imagination because they offer a glimpse into a world that &#8212; thankfully &#8212; we transcended. They&#8217;re fascinating because, every now and then, it&#8217;s encouraging to look at primitive people and think to ourselves: &#8220;As bad as things are, at least we aren’t still living like that.&#8221; We can use these tribes as an opportunity to reflect on all the human progress that&#8217;s occurred out here in civilization. Maybe no one will admit this out loud. But it&#8217;s true.
And it&#8217;s not just &#8220;uncontacted tribes&#8221; who fill this role in modern society. They&#8217;re maybe the most prominent example, but they&#8217;re certainly not the only ones. In particular, in recent years, it&#8217;s become pretty apparent that the organization known as the &#8220;WNBA&#8221; serves a very similar function. The WNBA, very clearly, is not a viable product from an entertainment perspective. It loses tens of millions of dollars every year. There has never been a genuine business case for keeping the WNBA alive. Even with the historic level of interest the public now has in the league — historic by WNBA standards — it’s still not viable. Because literally all of that interest is focused on just one player, Caitlin Clark.
And yet, with all that said, it&#8217;s time to admit that the WNBA, despite all appearances, isn&#8217;t actually useless &#8212; at least not completely. Like the tribesmen who have never heard of things like the &#8220;telephone&#8221; or &#8220;electricity,&#8221; the WNBA serves a purpose, albeit a very twisted one. In a sense, it exists outside of time and space. It&#8217;s a window into an alternative dimension, where humans didn&#8217;t respond to economic incentives or social pressures, or value things like &#8220;talent&#8221; or &#8220;competitiveness&#8221; or anything like that. The WNBA, because it&#8217;s propped up by Left-wing executives at the NBA who inexplicably have no problem losing large amounts of money every year, is immune from the normal demands of civilization as we know them. And in practice, that means that, if we take a look at how things are going at the WNBA, we can get a pretty good sense of how exactly the country would be doing, if we had gotten stuck back in 2020 and never moved on from the BLM race hysteria. Thanks to the WNBA, we don&#8217;t have to wonder about that anymore.
Instead, all we have to do is tune into Opening Day of the 2025 WNBA season, which took place on Saturday. Yes, in just one day &#8212; the first day of the season &#8212; the WNBA, for all intents and purposes, completely fell apart. The entire league, which serves as the platonic ideal of a progressive enterprise, devolved instantaneously into a race hoax and some inevitable racial outrage. No one&#8217;s even pretending to talk about the different teams in the WNBA, or the &#8220;power rankings,&#8221; or whatever. Instead, once again, they&#8217;re talking about white supremacy and racism.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1601-the-wnba-season-just-started-and-there-was-already-an-insane-race-hoax?elementPosition=0&amp;location=Home%20Tab&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Home%20Featured%20Carousel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h3>
The drama officially began in the third quarter of a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky. The Indiana Fever is the team that Caitlin Clark plays for. And the Chicago Sky is the name of the team that Caitlin Clark&#8217;s arch-nemesis, Angel Reese, plays for. If you&#8217;re cynical, you might conclude that the WNBA intentionally created this match-up for opening day in order to generate exactly the kind of racial controversy that followed. But for all I know, these are the only two teams that exist in the WNBA, so maybe they had to schedule it this way. Regardless, I&#8217;ll play the dramatic moment from the third quarter. Here it is:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="001 Clark Accused of Push" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HHuObFeFr6U?start=3&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In case you missed it, we&#8217;ll play the relevant part back, in slow motion:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="002 The foul" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ucyi1zOQk80?start=1&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
As you can see, Angel Reese &#8212; number 5 &#8212; pushes another player with two hands, as she&#8217;s trying to get the rebound. Apparently, the player that Angel Reese pushed is named &#8220;Natasha Howard&#8221; or something like that. In any event, it&#8217;s a clear foul. But it&#8217;s not called. You can see that Caitlin Clark is stunned that the foul wasn&#8217;t called. She&#8217;s sticking out both arms in protest.
And then, once Reese gets the rebound, Clark fouls her on purpose. This is called a &#8220;take foul&#8221; in basketball. And in context, the &#8220;take foul&#8221; makes sense. She wants to prevent Reese from getting the easy layup, so she has to foul quickly, before she begins the shot. (If she waits too long, then it&#8217;s a shooting foul, and a potential three-point play.)
Now, if you watched this moment and you&#8217;re not an alien who&#8217;s completely unfamiliar with basketball or human interaction, it&#8217;s one of the least remarkable sequences that you can imagine: The refs blew a call. And then Clark attempted to end the play as quickly as possible, which every basketball player in her position is taught to do. It’s all very normal. Everything makes sense so far. But sense — common sense —  is suspended in the WNBA. That&#8217;s why, moments after this incident took place, a reporter asked Caitlin Clark the single most loaded question that&#8217;s ever been asked in professional sports. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="004 Reporter asking Clark" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a9JMYbz-gts?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Yeah, what &#8220;point were you trying to make&#8221; with that foul? Were you trying to say that black people should be enslaved again? Were you saying that the 2020 election was stolen? What specific genocide were you endorsing, when you committed that foul?
This is the kind of ridiculous, obviously fake journalism that you see in the sports world all the time. But it&#8217;s particularly common in the WNBA. None of these reporters posed the same questions to Angel Reese when she <a href="https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1802396846251487726" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1802396846251487726&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1747932600570000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3lmTOe4B1kAEHN4TufWI8M">elbowed</a> Caitlin Clark in the head last year, or when she <a href="https://x.com/SocialMediaAnt1/status/1923844651926143398" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://x.com/SocialMediaAnt1/status/1923844651926143398&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1747932600570000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2WN15k9MXCCHOwd_EIQWUK">celebrated</a> on the sideline when Clark was blindsided and knocked over by another player. None of these people have ever asked whether Brittney Griner is really a woman, either. They don&#8217;t care about questions that are actually grounded in reality. But they&#8217;re asking Caitlin Clark these very stupid questions because, in the alternative universe of the WNBA, they honestly believe that this kind of lazy race-baiting is still persuasive.
But very few people are falling for it. Robert Griffin III, the former Redskins quarterback, was one of the most prominent voices to call out this fraudulent narrative. He <a href="https://x.com/RGIII/status/1923861525778808917" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>, &#8220;After watching Caitlin Clark’s flagrant foul on Angel Reese and the aftermath, there is no way Angel Reese can continue the lie that she doesn’t dislike Caitlin Clark. I know what hatred looks like. Angel Reese HATES Caitlin Clark. Not some &#8216;basketball rivalry hate&#8217; either. Hate.&#8221;
RG3 also posted commentary about the incident, in which he pointed out all the other times that Reese has attacked Caitlin Clark, physically and otherwise. And then he pointed to Reese&#8217;s own words, in which she described herself as one of the league&#8217;s villains. Here&#8217;s part of what he said:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Angel Reese hates Caitlin Clark.
It’s staring us all right in the face, but people are afraid to say it.
Won’t answer questions about Caitlin Clark.
Gets mad when people praise Caitlin Clark for the explosion of popularity around Women’s Basketball.
Celebrates when her… <a href="https://t.co/mQddPuUAvK">pic.twitter.com/mQddPuUAvK</a>
&mdash; Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) <a href="https://twitter.com/RGIII/status/1924115030687048163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
You can agree or disagree with RG3&#8217;s perspective, or not care in the slightest either way. Regardless, in the world of sports commentary, RG3&#8217;s statements crossed a very clear line. He refused to endorse the latest narrative of racial grievance. And therefore, various commentators lined up to attack him in extremely personal terms. No one was more eager to attack RG3 than Ryan Clark, the former NFL player. Watch as Clark unloads on RG3 &#8212; not for his opinions, but for the crime of marrying a white woman. Apparently, because his wife is white, RG3 is disqualified from commenting on any topic involving Caitlin Clark. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="006 Ryan Clark" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zRVfqHz5MNw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
It&#8217;s an incredible window into how racial politics, in every case, demolishes any potential for civilized, rational discussion. It&#8217;s a race to the bottom, every single time. Instead of talking about arguments or substance, everything boils down to your skin color &#8212; or your wife&#8217;s skin color, in this case. And from what I can tell, executives at the WNBA realized how bad this whole narrative was going for them. Therefore, in order to distract from the fake Caitlin Clark controversy and the transparent anti-white rhetoric that ensued, they concocted the idea that the crowd at this game had actually unleashed racial slurs on Angel Reese and her teammates.
This is the AP&#8217;s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/angel-reese-sky-racial-slurs-f77dd6072d1bcb0fc327ed72bbcf0b73" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> on the ongoing investigation: &#8220;The WNBA is investigating racial comments directed toward Angel Reese by fans during the Chicago Sky’s loss to Caitlin Clark and the Fever at Indiana on Saturday, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the league had not publicly identified the subject of the taunts or who made the allegations. &#8216;The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms — they have no place in our league or in society,&#8217; the league said in a statement. &#8216;We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter.'&#8221; The article adds that the WNBA Players Union also released a statement, which asserted that &#8220;unacceptable&#8221; and &#8220;hateful&#8221; comments were uttered during the game.
Now, if this sounds familiar, it&#8217;s exactly what happened last September, when I last made the mistake of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/race-baiting-wnba-players-are-sabotaging-their-own-league-out-of-spite" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailywire.com/news/race-baiting-wnba-players-are-sabotaging-their-own-league-out-of-spite&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1747932600570000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0iYXGifLbY8N7kHiYLJLGx">talking about</a> the WNBA. Back then, there were reports that slurs had been directed at Brittney Griner while he/she/they was playing a game. But, curiously enough, no audio or video surfaced that proved anyone was uttering those slurs. Even though there were television cameras and smartphones everywhere in the stadium, no one caught any of these naughty words on video. And once again, that&#8217;s the case here. No one can quote these &#8220;racial comments,&#8221; or point to any proof they occurred. In fact, Tyler Marsh, the head coach of the Chicago Sky, said he didn&#8217;t hear any slurs from courtside. The first time he heard about any alleged slurs was when the media told him about them. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="007 Tyler Marsh" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mk5mhww9Ud4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Well, it looks like the KKK ghosts are back again. After their first appearance in September, they&#8217;ve returned to torment the WNBA for reasons that no one can explain. On opening night, these racist ghosts once again purchased tickets to see WNBA games, because of course, racists love spending money on the WNBA. And then, as the game progressed, the racist ghosts decided to drop n-bombs that only the players could hear. The coaches couldn&#8217;t hear them. The TV cameras and cell phones couldn&#8217;t pick them up. But rest assured, the ghosts were definitely being racist. And we should all be very troubled by their behavior.
The WNBA explicitly encourages narratives like this to develop. In fact, just this year, they launched something called &#8220;No Space for Hate,&#8221; which the AP describes as &#8220;a multi-dimensional platform designed to combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces both online and in arenas.&#8221; In other words, they have a whole program that&#8217;s designed to lend credibility to the idea that random people are buying tickets to WNBA games, only to unleash racial slurs once they get there.
In reality, as you can tell from the footage of this game that was uploaded online, the handful of people in attendance weren&#8217;t being racist. They were booing, though, because the product the WNBA sells &#8212; from the quality of the referees to the quality of most of the players &#8212; is complete garbage. The booing is evident in many videos. But the racial slurs were not. And that&#8217;s why, when she was asked about these alleged racial slurs, Angel Reese rattled off a few meaningless statements &#8212; including a reference to the WNBA policy on &#8220;hate speech.&#8221; But at no point did she describe the allegedly &#8220;racist&#8221; remarks that she presumably would have heard, since she was on the court. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="008 Angel Reese" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KVnwUrC7e1A?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
She&#8217;s not exactly talking like someone who actually heard anything during the game. Even if you don&#8217;t know anything about this particular incident, it doesn&#8217;t sound remotely like she&#8217;s telling the truth. Instead, she&#8217;s making it very clear, once again, that she&#8217;s an actor, and not a particularly convincing one. Her job, as RG3 pointed out, is to play the villain of the WNBA, so that they can generate some drama. These people believe that if they generate enough fake storylines about racist fans and non-existent flagrant fouls, then people might actually watch the games. And then they can scrape together some cash instead of losing another $40 million this year.
But it won&#8217;t work, for the same reason that the BLM hysteria of 2020 ultimately didn&#8217;t work. The WNBA is the perfect encapsulation of every deranged impulse of modern leftism that the rest of society is rejecting. The hoaxes simply aren&#8217;t effective anymore. Manufactured narratives about phantom acts of racism, without any kind of evidence whatsoever, convince no one. And yet, for all the millions of dollars they burn every year on high-priced consultants, the WNBA is one of the few remaining organizations on the planet that doesn&#8217;t seem to realize this. The WNBA stands, virtually alone, as a reminder of what this country would have looked like if we hadn&#8217;t reversed course after the George Floyd hysteria and the &#8220;defund the police&#8221; movement and so on. And in that sense &#8212; and only that sense &#8212; it&#8217;s fair to say that the WNBA, against all odds, actually does serve something of a purpose. It&#8217;s a reminder of a giant bullet that this country dodged. And every time the league releases a dumb statement about &#8220;legitimate basketball plays,&#8221; or some 80-IQ sports commentator accuses Caitlin Clark of racism for committing a foul, we should thank God that the rest of the country has nothing in common with the WNBA.

Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese

The WNBA Season Just Started And There Was Already An Insane Race Hoax

Race

During his Middle East trip, President Donald Trump says he might be close to making a deal with Iran on nuclear weapons, the Supreme Court hears arguments on Trump’s efforts to end birthright citizenship, and football coaching legend Nick Saban has been tapped to bring order to big-money college sports.
It’s Friday, May 16, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Iran Nuclear Deal? &amp; Birthright Citizenship" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wT6V74pRIfw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/iran-nuclear-deal-birthright-citizenship-5-16-25/id1576594336?i=1000708705032" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2>U.S.-Iran Nuclear Deal</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-921029" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_33_14.Still001-3.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_33_14.Still001-3.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_33_14.Still001-3-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: President Trump says the United States is close to a nuclear deal with Iran.
After months of tense negotiations, President Trump says America is on the verge of signing a historic nuclear deal with Iran. Iran has been working for decades to build nuclear weapons. Iranian leaders refer to America as “the great Satan,” and its government spends billions of dollars annually sponsoring terror groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
Over the last four years, President Joe Biden attempted to revive the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran, waiving sanctions as a show of goodwill, but the Iranians refused to meet for formal negotiations, and no agreement was ever reached. But now, after four rounds of formal talks between the White House and Iran, President Trump says they’re ready to cut a deal.
The general idea is that Iran will agree to never produce nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions — and peace. A top adviser to the country’s Supreme Leader told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/iran-enriched-uranium-nuclear-deal-trump-rcna206833">NBC</a> they would commit to never making nuclear weapons, hand over their existing stockpiles of enriched uranium, only enrich uranium to low levels consistent with civilian use, and allow third-party inspectors to supervise the entire process. In exchange, they want the United States to lift all economic sanctions, which have hobbled the country’s economy for years. President Trump has said he also wants to see them cut funding to the terror groups they support — it remains to be seen if that part will be included in the final deal.
Critics say there’s no way to ensure Iran will hand over its existing nuclear materials and allow inspectors to see the full scope of their operation. Fifty-two GOP Senators and 178 GOP House members signed a letter to President Trump saying the &#8220;scope and breadth of Iran&#8217;s nuclear buildout have made it impossible to verify any new deal that allows Iran to continue enriching uranium.&#8221; Many Republicans want a deal, but not one that allows Iran to enrich any uranium, even low levels for civilian use.
<h2>SCOTUS Hears Arguments On Birthright Citizenship, National Injunctions</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-921031" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_39_00.Still002.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_39_00.Still002.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_39_00.Still002-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: The Supreme Court hears oral arguments challenging birthright citizenship.
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Thursday in a case challenging President Trump’s efforts to end birthright citizenship. The pivotal case calls into question whether the lower courts have the power to block executive branch actions.
The case hinges on three lower courts issuing nationwide injunctions blocking Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship. Trump’s EO interprets the 14th Amendment to deny automatic citizenship to children who are born in the U.S. if their mother was unlawfully in the country and if the father isn’t a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. That order is currently on hold while the Supreme Court considers it.
“ Since January 20th, district courts have now issued 40 universal injunctions against the federal government, including 35 from the same five judicial districts,” U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer <a href="https://x.com/GuntherEagleman/status/1923020348624187655">told</a> the court. “This is a bipartisan problem that has now spanned the last five presidential administrations. Universal injunctions exceed the judicial power granted in Article 3, which exists only to address the injury to the complaining party.”
The liberal justices appeared to disagree with the Trump administration’s arguments – they believe Trump’s order is at odds with many years of Supreme Court precedent.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/15/nx-s1-5398025/supreme-court-birthright-citizenship">said</a> that the Trump administration seemed to turn the justice system into “a kind of catch me if you can regime … where everybody has to have a lawyer and file a lawsuit in order for the government to stop violating people&#8217;s rights … I don&#8217;t understand how that is remotely consistent with the rule of law.”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Justice Sonia Sotomayor <a href="https://x.com/BehizyTweets/status/1923031636301709591">argued</a> that the Trump administration was violating precedent and the “plain meaning of the 14th Amendment.”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Meanwhile, Justice Elena Kagan pointed out that <a href="https://x.com/Tyler2ONeil/status/1923038011966562374">many</a> lower courts are ruling against Trump’s executive order. &#8220;This is not a hypothetical. This is happening. Every court ruled against you.&#8221;</li>
</ul>
Most of the conservative justices also seemed skeptical of the Trump administration’s stance, but Justice Clarence Thomas pointed out that the United States “survived until the 1960s” without nationwide injunctions.
<h2>Trump Drafts Nick Saban To Save College Sports</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-921035" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_33_26.Still003-2.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_33_26.Still003-2.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_33_26.Still003-2-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: Trump drafts college football coaching legend Nick Saban to bring some order to big-dollar collegiate athletics.
President Trump plans to create a commission to study “ailing issues” in college athletics, with the possibility of signing an executive order. Collegiate sports have been experiencing a bit of turmoil the last few years, with the schools adjusting to a new climate now that student-athletes have name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights and are on the road to receiving direct compensation from their respective universities.
The president announced that he was creating a commission to “deeply examine the unwieldy landscape of college sports, including the frequency of player movement in the <a href="https://www.on3.com/transfer-portal/">transfer portal</a>, the unregulated booster compensation paid to athletes, the debate of college athlete employment, the application of Title IX with regards to revenue sharing and, even, conference membership makeup and conference television contracts.”
Trump has named Nick Saban, who won seven national titles as a college football coach, as co-chair of the commission, with the other co-chair being Cody Campbell – the chairman of Texas Tech’s Board of Regents and NIL collective founder. Many people believe Saban is the best person to lead this initiative, given the on-field success, but there have also been accusations of hypocrisy given how much money Saban himself made from college athletics.
Hanging over all of this is the pending settlement of House vs. NCAA, a class-action, antitrust lawsuit that would allow collegiate athletes to participate in revenue sharing from TV rights deals once a settlement is complete. That settlement is expected within the coming weeks, or even days. The plaintiffs&#8217; attorney, Steve Berman, blasted Saban and Trump’s discussions, accusing them of “meddling.”
“College athletes are spearheading historic changes and benefitting massively from NIL deals,” Berman said. “They don’t need this unmerited interference from a coach only seeking to protect the system that made him tens of millions.”

MorningWire-0428_V1

Morning Brief: SCOTUS Hears Birthright Citizenship Case & Trump Drafts Legendary Football Coach

birthright citizenship

Iran

Iran Nuclear

Middle East

Nick Saban

Supreme Court

The battle over women&#8217;s sports came to a head for women&#8217;s fencing on Wednesday in a heated congressional hearing where female fencer Stephanie Turner took questions alongside USA Fencing Chairman Damien Lehfeldt, who doubled down on allowing trans-identifying men.
Lehfeldt was subpoenaed to <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/unfair-play-keeping-men-out-of-womens-sports/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appear</a> before the House Oversight Committee’s DOGE subcommittee for the hearing titled, &#8220;Unfair Play: Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.&#8221;
Turner was disqualified from a Maryland tournament in March for taking a knee and refusing to compete against a trans-identifying male opponent. She ultimately stepped away from fencing altogether.
&#8220;It took me nearly three years to get up the courage to come out publicly,&#8221; Turner told lawmakers at the hearing. &#8220;That knee I took in protest was a cry for help and an act of desperation.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“That knee I took in protest was a cry for help and an act of desperation.”
USA Fencing athlete Stephanie Turner testified before Congress about the painful decision to protest being forced to compete against a male opponent. <a href="https://t.co/yVrD2XSB0Q">pic.twitter.com/yVrD2XSB0Q</a>
&mdash; ICONS (@icons_women) <a href="https://twitter.com/icons_women/status/1920193484700692625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Turner also explained how biological sex impacts performance in fencing, reminding lawmakers that it is a &#8220;combat sport.&#8221;
&#8220;There are elements of speed, power, reaction time, distance control, footwork and blade work — all attributes affected by sex development,&#8221; she <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Turner-Written-Testimony.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in her opening statement. &#8220;It’s unbelievably demeaning to female fencers to put down the differences between men and women and any woman’s loss to a man as a &#8216;skill issue&#8217; or that a woman simply needs to work harder.&#8221;
Ahead of the hearing, Lehfeldt appeared to throw up a middle finger on social media, captioning the post &#8220;Game time,&#8221; but later clarified that he cropped his other finger out of the photo. The uncropped photo <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/usa-fencing-clarifies-chairmans-photo-which-caused-frenzy-before-hearing">shared</a> with Fox News showed Lehfeldt holding up two fingers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 OUTRAGEOUS: <a href="https://twitter.com/USAFencing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAFencing</a> Chair Damien Lehfeldt appears to give the middle finger this morning ahead of a Congressional hearing on the mistreatment of female fencers like Stephanie Turner—who took a knee to protest facing a male opponent and has since left the sport.
Unclear if… <a href="https://t.co/n4ELk2T4ue">pic.twitter.com/n4ELk2T4ue</a>
&mdash; ICONS (@icons_women) <a href="https://twitter.com/icons_women/status/1920144020506095987?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During the hearing, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) asked Lehfeldt whether he believes forcing women to change in front of a man is &#8220;abusive.&#8221;
Lehfeldt struggled to offer an answer.
&#8220;Congresswoman, I&#8217;m not sure I follow the question,&#8221; he responded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMTG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepMTG</a>: “Do you think forcing a woman to change in a locker room in front of a male is abusive?”
The silence from Damien Lehfeldt is LOUD… 
Absolutely reprehensible! <a href="https://t.co/hRpFnlnsDx">pic.twitter.com/hRpFnlnsDx</a>
&mdash; Independent Women&#39;s Forum (@IWF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IWF/status/1920191675353145463?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) challenged Lehfeldt to apologize to Turner to her face.
&#8220;Will you face Miss Stephanie Turner today? Will you look her in the eyes? Will you apologize to her for the way that she was treated by USA Fencing, standing up for women and girls, women&#8217;s rights, standing her ground as a woman who only wanted to fence with other women?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🤺👀 Rep. Mace asked Damien Lehfeldt, board chair of USA Fencing, to look Stephanie Turner in the eyes and apologize for how his organization treated her by forcing her to compete with men. HE REFUSED.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepNancyMace?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepNancyMace</a>: “Real men protect women, you are not one.”
Watch the clip 👇🏻 <a href="https://t.co/Iw8h1Lul5T">pic.twitter.com/Iw8h1Lul5T</a>
&mdash; Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/1920275466734231770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Why aren&#8217;t you protecting women?&#8221; asked Rep Eli Crane (R-AZ).
&#8220;Sir, from a fencing standpoint, it&#8217;s one of the safest sports in the Olympic movement. I know that you think that swords present some kind of danger,&#8221; Lehfeldt responded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Americans don&#39;t want MEN in WOMEN&#39;s sports. 
Why are Democrats so weird and out of touch? <a href="https://t.co/ztuqyJvgQS">pic.twitter.com/ztuqyJvgQS</a>
&mdash; Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepEliCrane/status/1920536098918281513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) asked Lehfeldt about his response to a mother who said she would move her daughters to a new sport over trans-identifying men in women&#8217;s fencing.
Lehfeldt posted his response to the woman on social media, calling her email &#8220;whiny,&#8221; and going on a bizarre rant to the woman, named Dorothy, in which he referenced “The Wizard of Oz” and told her the only wizard who could help her is “of the grand wizard variety.”
&#8220;I want to be crystal clear. That was an inappropriate message,&#8221; Lehfeldt said during the hearing. &#8220;I regret it, sir. I deleted it shortly after posting it, and I certainly don&#8217;t feel that way anymore.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Damien Lehfeldt, Chairman of <a href="https://twitter.com/USAFencing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAFencing</a>, has a long, ugly record of smearing parents who dare to oppose men in their daughters’ sports.
He brought lame excuses. I brought receipts. <a href="https://t.co/QMU8XjB68z">pic.twitter.com/QMU8XjB68z</a>
&mdash; Congressman Brandon Gill (@RepBrandonGill) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepBrandonGill/status/1920230019164459185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Lehfeld also doubled down in a response to a social media follower who asked him, “Are you okay with cis females being at a disadvantage?” Lehfeldt responded simply, “Yeah.”
After the hearing, Turner said she wanted to see some USA Fencing leaders resign.
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to be pushing for people to resign, to be honest. I&#8217;d like to see some people resign for the comments that they&#8217;ve made, especially publicly, ones that are harassing and meant to humiliate concerned women, mothers and daughters,&#8221; Turner <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/usa-fencing-transgender-controversy-escalates-doge-hearing-social-media-regrets-calls-firings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Last month, USA Fencing said it might have to change its policy to bar trans-identifying males from women’s fencing.
“In the event that USA Fencing is guided 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 organization <a href="https://www.usafencing.org/news/2025/april/18/usa-fencing-board-prepares-for-potential-changes-from-governing-bodies-on-transgender-and-non-binary-athlete-eligibility-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
“The policy will be implemented only if and when one or more governing bodies require these updates,” USA Fencing added.

PhotoFunia-1746809499-2

WATCH: Female Fencer And Trans-Supporting USA Fencing Head Face Off At Heated DOGE Hearing

Female Fencer And Trans-Supporting USA Fencing Head Face Off At Heated DOGE Hearing

Congress

USA Fencing Chairman Damien Lehfeldt appeared to throw up a middle finger in a social media post ahead of a congressional hearing where he was to be questioned on keeping men out of women&#8217;s sports.
On Instagram, Lehfeldt posted a photo of himself showing his middle finger extended with the caption, &#8220;Game day.&#8221; The post was highlighted by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, which posted screenshots.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 OUTRAGEOUS: <a href="https://twitter.com/USAFencing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAFencing</a> Chair Damien Lehfeldt appears to give the middle finger this morning ahead of a Congressional hearing on the mistreatment of female fencers like Stephanie Turner—who took a knee to protest facing a male opponent and has since left the sport.
Unclear if… <a href="https://t.co/n4ELk2T4ue">pic.twitter.com/n4ELk2T4ue</a>
&mdash; ICONS (@icons_women) <a href="https://twitter.com/icons_women/status/1920144020506095987?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Damien Lehfeldt, chair of the <a href="https://twitter.com/USAFencing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAFencing</a> Board of Directors, was subpoenaed to attend today’s <a href="https://twitter.com/DOGECommittee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DOGECommittee</a> hearing on saving women’s sports.
🚨 Damien is openly anti-woman. 🚨
Just look at some of the awful &amp; disgusting things he’s said on social media in response to women… <a href="https://t.co/tOmHOVKvRA">pic.twitter.com/tOmHOVKvRA</a>
&mdash; Independent Women&#39;s Forum (@IWF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IWF/status/1920120237615112442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It is unclear whether the USA Fencing chairman&#8217;s gesture was intended to be profane, and if so, whether it was directed at female athletes who object to competing with men or Republican lawmakers on the Oversight Committee.
Lehfeldt clarified later that he, for whatever reason, cropped his other finger out of the photo posted to Instagram. The uncropped photo <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/usa-fencing-clarifies-chairmans-photo-which-caused-frenzy-before-hearing">shared</a> with Fox News showed Lehfeldt holding up two fingers.
Lehfeldt was subpoenaed to <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/unfair-play-keeping-men-out-of-womens-sports/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appear</a> before the House Oversight Committee&#8217;s DOGE subcommittee Wednesday afternoon.
Also testifying was Stephanie Turner, a female fencer who was disqualified from a Maryland tournament in March for taking a knee and refusing to compete against a trans-identifying male opponent. She ultimately stepped away from fencing altogether.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🤺🚨Historic Protest: Female Fencer Takes a Knee in Bout Against Male Opponent, Faces Immediate Disqualification
After receiving a black card for refusing to compete against a man, Redmond Sullivan&#39;s female opponent was expelled from the <a href="https://twitter.com/USAFencing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAFencing</a> event at the Univ. of… <a href="https://t.co/IloSnrb2Iu">pic.twitter.com/IloSnrb2Iu</a>
&mdash; ICONS (@icons_women) <a href="https://twitter.com/icons_women/status/1907487751664247154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“I want to thank God for trusting me with this mission to fight for female exclusive sports and putting me in a place to effectively protest,” Turner <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/female-fencer-speaks-out-after-shes-expelled-for-protesting-male-opponent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Daily Wire at the time.
Previously, Lehfeldt has repeatedly posted in support of trans-identifying males competing in women&#8217;s fencing.
When a social media follower asked him, &#8220;Are you okay with cis females being at a disadvantage?&#8221; Lehfeldt responded simply, &#8220;Yeah.&#8221;
In an article on his blog, The Fencing Coach, Lehfeldt <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/usa-fencing-chairs-pro-trans-manifesto-surfaces-after-woman-dqed-for-refusing-to-fence-male" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> “transgender women are women” and lectured female athletes that giving trans-identifying male athletes &#8220;a sense of belonging and a will to live is more powerful than medals and competitive glory.&#8221;
The USA Fencing chairman also appears to have posted his email response to a woman who criticized allowing trans-identifying men in women&#8217;s fencing, going on a bizarre rant to the woman, named Dorothy, in which he referenced &#8220;The Wizard of Oz&#8221; and told her the only wizard who could help her is &#8220;of the grand wizard variety.&#8221;
Payton McNabb, a former high school volleyball player who was seriously injured when a trans-identifying volleyball player spiked a ball at her head, also testified during Wednesday&#8217;s hearing.
Last month, USA Fencing said it might have to change its policy to bar trans-identifying males from women&#8217;s fencing.
&#8220;In the event that USA Fencing is guided 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,&#8221; the organization <a href="https://www.usafencing.org/news/2025/april/18/usa-fencing-board-prepares-for-potential-changes-from-governing-bodies-on-transgender-and-non-binary-athlete-eligibility-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
&#8220;The policy will be implemented only if and when one or more governing bodies require these updates,&#8221; USA Fencing added.

Fencing – Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 6

Embattled USA Fencing Chairman Seems To Throw Up Middle Finger Online Before Women’s Sports Hearing

USA Fencing Chairman Appears To Throw Up Middle Finger On Social Media Before Women's Sports Hearing

Menu