The White House has expressed the Trump administration’s solidarity with Christian WNBA star Sophie Cunningham who has come under fire for opposing transgender players participating in women’s sports.
During a press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump is following the story of the 29-year-old Indiana Fever guard as she has fielded left-wing attacks and been mocked as “MAGA Barbie” for supporting the integrity of women’s sports.
Cunningham, an eight-season WNBA veteran who was re-baptised earlier this year to reaffirm her Christian faith as an adult, recently asserted on ESPN that she doesn’t hate transgender-identifying people, but believes in standing up for young girls in their private spaces.
She also pushed back against the “MAGA Barbie” moniker, noting she is “very much in the middle” of the political spectrum.
BASKETBALL STAR DEFENDS SPEAKING UP FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SPORT
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’” Sophie Cunningham told the sports channel.
“I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest.”
“I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
When asked later about her remarks, Cunningham remained resolute, saying: “I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense.”
WHITE HOUSE SUPPORTS SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM’S STANCE
The Christian Post reports the White House used Cunningham’s stance as a springboard to reiterate the Trump administration’s support for shielding women from competing against men, noting that such a position is overwhelmingly shared by the American public.
“As you know, this is something the president feels strongly about as well, and the American people do too: that men should not be playing in women’s sports,” said Karoline Leavitt.
“It’s completely ludicrous that anyone could support that. It’s even more ludicrous that you do have Sophie Cunningham, a female athlete herself, very accomplished in her own right, coming forth and speaking that truth, that men shouldn’t play in women’s sports.”
“SOPHIE CUNNIGHAM’S CRITICS ARE OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE AMERICAN PUBLIC”
Ms. Leavitt went on to push back against those on the political left who continue to push for ignoring biology when it comes to competitive sports.
“We want to protect women and girls, and the backlash [Cunningham] is receiving from Democrats and left-wing figures across the country is astonishing.”
“They are clearly very out of touch with the American public on this issue, which is an 80/20 issue.”
“It’s common sense. It’s rooted in basic biological fact that men should not be competing against women on playing fields across the country,” Karoline Leavitt asserted.
CUNNINGHAM: “BEING AN OUTSPOKEN CHRISTIAN IN SPORT HAS ITS CHALLENGES”
Sophie Cunningham said during an appearance on a podcast last year that being an outspoken Christian in the WNBA hasn’t come without challenges, and that some want to silence her.
“I’ve learned that my competition isn’t with anyone else.”
“God gave me all these gifts and blessings to show all these young boys and girls and sometimes my parents and older people too [that] it’s OK to be like this, but you’ve got to learn how to channel it a little bit.”
“MORE CHRISTIANS IN WNBA THAN REALISED, BUT MANY KEEP THEIR FAITH PRIVATE”
Cunningham said there are more Christians in the league than many realise, but that some of them prefer to keep their faith private.
“There’s a lot more believers than you would actually expect, because a lot of people don’t speak out about it.”
“I think our league, they want to have a certain look to them, they want to have a certain style to them, and if you speak out against it, sometimes they want to hush you, but that’s not what I’m here for,” she said.
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