Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., the first openly transgender member of Congress, slammed the Republicans on Thursday, accusing them of focusing more on “culture war issues” than the American people.
“I appear to live rent-free in the minds of some of my Republican colleagues,” McBride said. The Delaware lawmaker later added that “the Republican Party is obsessed with culture war issues. It is weird and it is bizarre.”
Then-incoming U.S. Representative Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the first transgender member of Congress, walks through the U.S. Capitol before the start of the 119th Congress, in Washington, U.S., Jan. 3, 2025. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
GOP LAWMAKER EXPLAINS WHY HE CALLED TRANS DEM ‘MR. MCBRIDE’
On Tuesday, Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, abruptly adjourned a congressional hearing after clashing with Rep. Bill Keating, D-Mass., over introducing the Delaware lawmaker as “Mr. McBride.” Keating demanded Self re-introduce McBride “the right way” and threatened to leave if Self did not do so. Rather than say “Ms. McBride,” the Texas Republican ended the hearing.
Self later said he refused to use female terms to refer to McBride because “I don’t have to participate in his fantasy.”
Left: Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, leaves the House Republicans’ caucus meeting at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington on Wednesday, May 10, 2023; Middle: Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-DE) poses for a photograph after joining other congressional freshmen of the 119th Congress for a group photograph on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol Building on November 15, 2024, in Washington, D.C.; Right: Rep. Bill Keating, D-Mass., is seen during a House Foreign Affairs Committee markup in Rayburn Building on legislation dealing with Venezuela on Thursday March 14, 2019. (Left: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Center: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Right: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
HOUSE REPUBLICAN INTRODUCES TRANSGENDER LAWMAKER AS ‘THE GENTLEMAN … MR. MCBRIDE’ FOR FLOOR SPEECH
McBride was also introduced as “the gentleman from Delaware, Mr. McBride” in the House chamber in early February. That time it was Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., who made a point of using the male title to refer to McBride. While the Delaware Democrat did not respond, a subsequent speaker, Rep. Nanette Barragán, D- Calif., called Miller “Mr. Speaker” before giving her speech.
In November 2024, before McBride was even sworn-in, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., faced backlash for trying to ban men who identify as women from women’s restrooms on Capitol Hill.
“This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing,” McBride said in a statement at the time.
Trump signed an executive order making it the official policy of the U.S. that two sexes, male and female, are recognized and “are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.” (Getty Images/AP)
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Upon his return to the Oval Office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order making it the official policy of the U.S. that two sexes, male and female, are recognized and “are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.”
The president also mentioned the order in his address to a joint session of Congress earlier this month.
Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.