MSNBC’s Ruhle explodes on West Virginia’s GOP governor as he struggles to defend signing anti-trans bill
MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle got in the face of West Virginia's Republican governor on Friday morning, haranguing him for signing an anti-trans bill, telling him it was entirely unnecessary and then challenging him to defend his actions.
According to CNN, the bill signed by Gov. Jim Justice, "... prohibits transgender girls and women in the state from competing on sports teams at 'any public secondary school or state institution of higher education'' ... and states, "that such teams must be designated based on 'biological sex,' thus prohibiting trans women and girls from participating on women's athletic teams 'where competitive skill or contact is involved.'"
"Sir, can you give me one example of a transgender child trying to get an unfair advantage in your state? you signed a bill about it," Ruhle asked.
"I can't really tell you one, but I can tell you this, Stephanie, I'm a coach and I coach a girl's basketball team and I can tell you, we all know -- we all know what absolute advantage boys would have playing against girls," he shot back. "We don't need that."
"But, sir, there are no examples of this happening. Why would you take your time to do this?" Ruhle pressed, "Let's talk about other things I can give you examples of in your state. According to U.S. News & World Report, West Virginia ranked 47th in health care, 48th in the economy and 50th in infrastructure. If you cannot name one single example for me of a child doing this, why would you make this a priority? I named four things that would seem to me like a much bigger priority."
"Stephanie, I didn't make it a priority, it wasn't my bill," the Republican governor protested.
"You signed it!" she corrected him.
"It just came to me and I actually signed it because I believe from the standpoint of a coach, I believe that girls worked so hard to obtain Title Nine, and I do not have any idea now why we are trying to disadvantage them in participating in a sport that they put so much into," he attempted. " I don't know why we're doing that -- this is not like it's a big priority to me."
"Well, you signed it, sir," Ruhle once again pointed out
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