Originally published by the Washington Examiner
Tuesday night, President Donald Trump did what he does best — he told it like it is. He reviewed his administration’s impressive accomplishments, laid out his action plan to put our economy back on track, urged Congress to deliver additional funding for the United States Border Patrol, and shared his bold vision to bring peace and stability around the world.
Needless to say, everything was covered in Tuesday night’s joint address to Congress — even the kitchen sink! I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to this historic speech, and there’s a lot that we can take from the president’s decisive message. However, one thing stood out to me the most.
The common theme of the speech? Common sense. Specifically, when our president spoke about the biological men who compete in women’s sports, he made it clear that in today’s America — Trump’s America — this isn’t going to fly anymore. And it shouldn’t. Some folks never got the memo, but they have now.
Democrats, for a reason beyond me, have made this a hill to die on. They refuse to live in reality, and they’ve paid the consequences for it. You need not look further than the election results to see proof of that. Plus, an overwhelming majority of the public does not support men playing in women’s sports. It’s just a fact.
But don’t take my word for it — a recent New York Times poll found that 79% of Americans agree with Trump. That’s no small number.
You would think that statistics such as these, especially in the wake of devastating electoral losses, would be a wake-up call for Democrats. I don’t know if my colleagues on the Left got into a batch of East Tennessee moonshine, but we need to wake them up because they’re asleep at the wheel. I do know that common sense in the Democratic Party is a thing of the past.
Luckily, Trump and Republicans, like most, live in a reality rooted in common sense. Our actions prove so.
Only weeks ago, the president signed an executive order keeping men out of women’s sports. I attended the signing, and it was a sight to see — the president with dozens of female athletes and young women who would now have a level playing field because of Republicans’ commitment to this cause — Trump’s commitment to this cause.
The president reiterated this commitment Tuesday night when he spoke on this issue, highlighting the story of Payton McNabb, saying, “When her girls’ volleyball match was invaded by a male, he smashed the ball so hard in Payton’s face, causing traumatic brain injury … ending her athletic career.”
This story has become all too common. When Trump told Payton’s story, not a single Democrat stood in solidarity.
Now, it’s Congress’s turn to step up. If Congress does not codify Trump’s executive order, then we cannot promise our daughters and granddaughters that this vital step toward equality will remain the law of the land. Without congressional action, an incoming administration adversarial to common sense could easily reverse course. If history has taught us anything, it is not a question of “if” but “when.” We cannot let this happen.
The House passed legislation codifying that only women can play women’s sports. I was proud to co-sponsor and vote in favor of this bill. Unfortunately, on Monday, the companion bill in the Senate failed because no Democrat would stand with our daughters and the biological women of this country. Shocking, I know.
Listen, I’m a biological female — isn’t it a shame I have to clarify that to begin with? — and I don’t want to be put in the ring or on the field with a biological male because he couldn’t make it in his respective sport as a male. And I am by no means the only one who feels this way.
Mediocrity should not breed insanity, and that’s what this is. Thankfully, as Trump made clear Tuesday night, we have a leader taking charge to end the madness.
Diana Harshbarger represents Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.