Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said Wednesday in Des Moines that transgender women participating in women’s sports is “the women’s issue of our time.”
Leaked audio from a town hall meeting has exposed Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s opinion about transgender social media star Dylan Mulvaney. In the recording, Haley claimed that Mulvaney is “only dressing up like a girl” and making a mockery of women. The remarks were made while Haley was speaking before an audience in Bedford, New Hampshire, one day before Mulvaney broke her silence about the recent controversy surrounding her partnership with Bud Light.
Haley started by discussing transgender girls participating in school sports, calling it “the women’s rights issue of our time.” She then moved on to talk about the Bud Light controversy surrounding Dylan Mulvaney, who is a well-known TikTok personality. Haley questioned the promotion of Mulvaney by companies, claiming that Mulvaney is not a transgender person but “a guy dressing up like a girl, making fun of women.” Haley expressed her concerns about the impact of such actions on young girls and the message that it sends to them.
Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations, launched her “Women for Nikki” campaign Wednesday at the Temple Theater in Des Moines. She said transgender women – being “glorified” on social media and participating in sports events – were putting cisgender women and girls at risk. She specifically criticized the prominence of transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who was recently sponsored by Bud Light.
The discussion comes after President Joe Biden’s administration proposed a rule prohibiting bans on transgender students from participating in sports corresponding with their gender identity. It’s unclear how the executive order will impact states like Iowa that have laws prohibiting transgender women from participating in women’s sports. U.S. Department of Education officials have not said what will happen in areas where state laws conflict with the federal rule.
LGBTQ issues present other problems in schools across the country, Haley said. She also spoke in favor of laws like Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, preventing gender identity and sexual orientation from being discussed with K-3 students. Iowa has a similar bill going through the legislative process to limit instruction and material involving these terms in kindergarten through 6th grade classrooms.
One of Haley’s fellow South Carolina Republicans, Sen. Tim Scott, also was in Iowa on Wednesday, where he announced he is launching an exploratory campaign for president.
Haley launched her 2024 presidential campaign in February, and has already made multiple Iowa trips. She told Iowans in her first caucus trail trip in February that one of the best ways to address problems in public schools is supporting “school choice” legislation, saying she’d like to see programs like Gov. Kim Reynolds’ private school scholarship program nationwide.
One of the ways to address educational problems — and the gaps between what schools are teaching children and what parents want — is to have parents more involved in their child’s education, Haley said. She said as South Carolina governor, she said the issues people have with public education is with “school bureaucrats,” not with teachers.
“Having said that, parents need to be able to see everything that’s happening in the classroom,” Haley said. “We have one job, one job, and that’s to make sure we get our kids right. Teachers have been given way too much. They’re expected to be the teacher, the parent, the guidance counselor, the nurse, the pastor, everything else — it’s too much. If you’re hiring them to teach, let them do their job. … Then, we need to look at how do you bring parents in.”
U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn gave opening remarks for Haley. Nunn said Republican women play an important role in Iowa politics, pointing to Reynolds, fellow U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Ashley Hinson and U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst. After giving a speech, Haley answered questions from the crowd on subjects including manufacturing and abortion.
While Haley said she was pro-life, she said she believes decisions on abortion legality should be left to the states, not decided in court. She said she knows people do not agree with the legislation passed by the U.S. House in 2022 “which is abortion up until the time of birth,” but said that Republicans can’t get caught in the political battles over abortion.
Democrats love including perversions into laws and expecting normal people to obey perverted laws…
It’s unConstitutional to force taxpayers to fund evil religious schools…
Abortion should be legal up to 6 months, further if a threat to a woman’s health, not allowed if the woman accepted government maternal car funds… or, at least, the funds must be paid back if abortion chosen…
Mostly agree, Democrats have their perversions and so does Republicans.
Between a guy who pretends he is a woman and a gun nut that thinks shooting somebody that knocks at their door is a way to go….I’ll take the transgender nut.
Anyway, what is “government maternal car funds” do any state give anybody a discount on cars if they get pregnant? Child CARE tax breaks only applies AFTER you actually have a child.
Instead I guess you’d rather they have a Bow n Arrow !
I am OK with abortion up until the heart starts to beat; then U have a human being & it’s murder. That gives U almost 3 MONTHS to decide
Buzz, I agree with your stance on abortion. Not so much the rest of it, but you are being open minded with regard to abortion. I am also one who thinks there need to be exceptions in place. Not everything is black and white. I don’t think it should be a back up birth control method. I don’t think that “repeat offenders” should be considered after a couple of times. That to me is just disregard for life and law.
Medically necessary or rape induced situations should not fall into the same category.