🚨 MAGA in FULL ON PANIC MODE After WNBA DISASTER Backfires in Their FACE! Riley Gaines EXPOSED!

Welcome to I've Had It Weekend and here. to tell me what he has had it with this. weekend is of course our friend of the. show Matt Bernstein. He is also known as. Max Max. >> Off to a good start. >> We're off to a terrible start. Matt XIV. he's a political and social media. personality and the host of a podcast a. little bit fruity which I've been a. guest on. It is fabulous. Matt, welcome. to I've Had It This Weekend. >> Thank you so much Jen Welter. It's a. pleasure to be here our first time in. person. >> I know it is our first time in person.

It's a big it's a big day. >> Podcast is also called a bit fruity but. you're one of many. >> I say? >> A little bit fruity but you're one of. many people who have added the a little. bit in and if it sounds better that way. I should just change it. I'm. hoping. >> all the time. I mean I'm constantly adding things. I. just read my audio book for my book Not. Today Fascist and they were constantly. stopping me because I was adding. adjectives that weren't there. >> Yeah, but it has some sass. It's good. >> Yeah, all right. Let's belong. All.

right, let's speaking of uh. a little bit cuckoo. Not fruity but. cuckoo. Let's talk about Laura Ingram. >> Okay. >> She cannot stop talking about how hot. AOC is. >> Mhm. >> I don't know if she's horny or what's. going on with her but let's play the. clip. >> it's straddling the socialist and old. Democrat world and and having a savvy. social media presence and you know, she's attractive and that actually. suffices. That's my point. That suffices. in the modern Democrat Party.

So that works for her. [laughter]. >> Okay, I've heard enough. Um. >> [clears throat]. >> The other guy seems like he's falling. asleep at the wheel. >> Kylie and I have a theory about Laura. >> All right. >> You know, Laura's unmarried. >> Okay. >> has children. >> Okay. From a man she was Was she ever married? >> No. >> Okay. >> No, she is an unmarried. >> All right. >> um. woman with children. So she's not in a. quote traditional family. >> No. >> Um and.

Kylie was watching her the other day and. Kylie, what did you say? >> I got like a butch vibe. >> Kylie got a little a butch vibe. >> Well, I mean I'm not the resident. lesbian here, so I don't want to speak. too firmly to Laura Ingraham's. sexuality, but you know, I mean. everyone's I feel like gotten the hots. for AOC at some point. >> Right. >> And it I don't think it takes a. a brainiac to acknowledge that she has. there's a little bit of there's a little. bit of heat.

>> Yeah. >> In her in her rhetoric style. >> Yeah, and she's very attractive. >> Yeah. >> Very attractive. Because there before. this Lumer Lumer that was a Freudian. slip. Laura Ingraham was talking about. how her how great her hair was and her. red lips. But Laura has a fixation with. attractive women just like many of the. closeted MAGA men are obsessed with gay. and trans people. And Hunter Biden came. on this podcast, sat right there, and.

told me that he calls it the. closetocracy. in DC. And I've also spoken to Steve. Schmidt who served under George W. Bush. and worked in the White House and was. the campaign chair for John McCain when. he ran against Obama. And he said, "Oh. yeah, I mean you work in Republican. circles, you work around 90% of the men. are closeted and everybody knows it. It. is a it is a widely known thing in. Republican circles. And I understand. that you have some things to say about. this.

>> I do. I do. I mean, I don't agree with. Hunter Biden's characterization of this. like closetocracy. What he said. specifically, and maybe he was saying. this a little bit in jest. >> Fair. >> But he said, you know, the biggest you. know, most powerful force in Washington D.C. is not the oligarchy, it's the. closetocracy. That's what he said. >> he's being tongue in cheek there. >> I know, I know, fair enough. But. >> I mean, I was sitting next to him and I. think that's but I know a lot of people. picked up on that component of it, but I.

think he was. being a little cheeky. >> Which I understand, but you know, there I was looking at some of the. people who really ran with that clip. online. I like live on the internet as. we all do. And there are a lot of conspiracy. theorists who really do believe, I mean. that there is a sort of cabal and it's. anti-Semitic in its structure a little. bit this conspiracy, but there is a.

cabal of homosexuals. >> Mhm. >> who. are have their hands on the levers of. power. And this isn't that far from like a. really kind of like 4chan-ish conspiracy. called Globo Homo. >> Mhm. >> which is, I mean, it's a good name, but. it's the conspiracy that there is this. cabal of homosexuals that's kind of it's. kind of gay agenda adjacent. They're. trying to turn everyone gay, whatever. But the bottom line is with the Hunter. Biden thing and with kind of all of this. rhetoric that can veer into. conspiratorial.

areas about like all of the gay closeted. Republican men who are so angry that. they're gay that they're punishing the. world. you know, with you know, instead of because because they're also. punishing themselves. Is it's like. first of all, are there. closeted gay men. in the Republican Party in MAGA? I'm. sure of it. I think Bennie Thompson's. gay, right? I made a whole. >> [laughter]. >> So not to like throw strays at Bennie. Thompson, but like I, you know, I just.

made a whole episode on my podcast about. I would say decisively that Lindsey. Graham was queer. I don't even know how. I would label him technically cuz he. also was like very transamorous and so. I'm not going to say he was just like a. gay man. But. to. insist that this is like an issue that. is like endemic within the Republican. Party, that it is a driving force of. Republican politics. It's not true. We. know just on the tippy-top surface. level, we know that many of the people.

in the MAGA administration have abused, assaulted, harassed women sexually. So, like let's just start there, right? You. have Pete Hegseth, you have RFK Jr., you. have all of these people with credible. allegations of harassment and assault. against them by women. And. but but more so, I think the idea that a. lot of the politics of MAGA men is. driven by their closetedness,

um it's also it's not true for that. reason. It's also. exciting, I think for a listener to. imagine that there are these things. going on that we don't know about. It's. kind of sexy to feel like, oh, there's. some secret and, you know, but the. reality is these men. are. largely driven by. this the things that aren't that sexy to. talk about. They are driven by power.

They are driven by money. They're driven. by access. They're driven by. uh furthering their own political. careers. They are driven by the things that have. created the oligarchy. So, you know, and that's harder to talk. about and that brings you into like. leftist discourse and it's not fun and. now we're talking about theory and. whatever and it's not as excite it's not. as exciting as talking about, oh, there. was a Grindr outage at the RNC or. whatever, which by the way, every time. there are the we live in New York City.

If there were Grindr outages, they'd be. happening right here. >> [laughter]. >> But they're not because Grindr doesn't. just like go out when there's an arena. full of gay men. That's not how it. works, but I understand why those memes. are exciting to share. >> Mhm. I understand that they play well on. the internet. >> Mhm. >> And I'm not trying to punish people for. having fun, but to take it seriously. that there is a cabal of gay men who are. so mad at themselves. that they are are being Republicans and. they're starting wars because they can't. handle their own sexuality.

It's not true. It's not the driving. factor. There might be I would actually say. there definitely are certain closeted. men in the Republican Party, just like. there are closeted men everywhere on. this earth. There are closeted men in. the Democratic Party. >> Yeah. >> But my other problem with the. closetocracy sort of mythos. is that. instead of. driving the conversation to a place. where we could say. "Well, the ultimate culprit here is. homophobia. and none of this would exist." Which, by.

the way, it doesn't exist in the way. that they're saying, but if it did, we. could be redirecting that conversation. to "Well, let's fight homophobia.". Because if there wasn't homophobia, then. the structure of this conspiracy. wouldn't work to begin with. Because. these men wouldn't be so afraid of. coming out. They'd just be out, right? But instead, it creates. what I think is online more resembles a. witch hunt, where we're all just talking. about oh which men are secretly gay. >> Mhm. >> And. I don't know if that's productive.

And I also don't know. that it's. productive for the well-being of gay. people everywhere. And that's why I don't buy into it. Does that make sense? >> It makes perfect sense, and I think that. this is a really healthy conversation to. have. >> Mhm. >> I think, first and foremost, the um. premier expert on autocracies, authoritarianism is um New York-based. Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat. And the. through line through. autocrats is homophobia. That is the.

through line. And academics say this. from an academic level. >> Mhm. >> Um I would say that. I hear your trepidation about. this potentially being homophobic and. damaging to the gay community and I. think that's really valid. And you come. from that from a very honest space as. one of the premier advocates for the. LGBTQ+ community and so I appreciate. where you're coming from.

I come from this from a place where I. have lived in. a red state that is deeply deeply. religious for. 50 years before I moved to New York. The. through line isn't so much these gays. These gays are trying to kill me. >> [laughter]. >> The through line isn't so much that. It's shame. The through line between all of this is. sexual shame because these Republican. men are overtly religious.

And they have been told that sex is bad, sex is bad. You're born bad. You can. only get be good through this. savior. And so there's a lot of sexual. shame even for straight people. >> Yeah. >> Republican. >> Yes. >> So the through line there is sexual. shame. >> Yeah. >> And the opposite, the way you live is. you live pride. I'm proud to be who I. am. >> My gay lifestyle, yeah. >> These men live in shame. Whether a lot.

of them are straight and they share the. same sexual shame because they're horny. AF. And they Nobody told them, "Honey, just because you're on a diet doesn't. mean you can't read the menu." Like my. husband and I go to the gym, he's like, "She's pretty cute." I'm like, "Oh my. god, she is pretty." And I'm like, "God, that guy's hot." And he's like, "Oh, does mama getting a little eye candy?". They think that even looking at another. person, whether it be same sex or um. opposite sex, is lust and that God. micromanages every single thought they.

have. Like it's the ultimate Big Brother. that surveils every moment they have and. then it's sin. So, they're just in this. constant trap. >> Mhm. >> I do think that a lot of these MAGA men. are. closeted. gay homosexuals. I do. I think they are. Um and and I've had. >> more than. >> corroborating evidence of people who. have worked in Republican circles that. are no longer on the MAGA train who have. said there's no question very reliable.

sources. >> Look, I I mean, do I think that there. are some? Certainly. >> Mhm. >> But but I want to go back to what you. were just saying cuz I I think that's. really interesting. >> Mhm. >> Which is that. men who come from places like where you. hail from, right? From the South. But. men, I would argue heterosexual men and. also a lot of non-heterosexual men. everywhere, do live in shame. They live. in sexual shame. They're afraid of their. desires. This is also comes from. Christian purity culture in the US. >> Exactly.

>> But and and it's also informed by. homophobia because a lot of these men, they're afraid of sex acts with women if. they are perceived as gay. They're. afraid to get pegged because it can be. perceived as gay if it is done to them. by a woman, even if that's what they. really desire. They're they're living in. shame. It's also informed by misogyny. and their fears that they're not man. enough. I. would talk all day, and I do, in fact, on my podcast A Bit Fruity, also. sometimes known as A Little Bit Fruity.

>> [laughter]. >> But I I you know, I would talk all day. about the ways that men's violent. behavior is informed by all of these. things. To me now, we're having a really. interesting like sociological. conversation. about the way that these forces shape. the world and patriarchy and all of this. stuff that's like, oh, okay, patriarchy, now we're talking about leftist theory, whatever. But to me, that is different than Hunter. Biden being like. there's this. secret dark closeted closetocracy.

whatever cabal in in DC and they're so. angry. What But hold on. >> to I want to I want to. >> But Hunter Biden. >> correctly and and what he meant. And and. it is the same conversation I've had. with so many other people that have been. in Republican politics. And it is this. open secret that everybody in DC knows. >> if that were true, how Like like the thing that I'm not. totally connecting is like. even if there were a certain amount of. closeted gay men in Republican politics,

which again, I am not denying at all cuz. I think closeted men are everywhere, maybe even in this room. No, I'm [laughter] just I'm just. kidding. I'm just kidding. >> Everybody's out except for me. >> I'm just kidding. But like how much of that is really like. a driver of what's happening in the. Republican Party. politically? >> I'll tell you why I think this because. and this is where Hunter's coming from. So Hunter is a recovering addict and he. has had to dive into shame.

>> Mhm. >> My husband is a also in recovery and. shame is this dark passenger. And Hunter, if you listen to the podcast. further, spoke about the link between. shame exacerbating these horrible. decisions that people make, whether it's. an addict or if you're ashamed of your. sexual proclivities or your sexual. preference. He was kind of getting into. a deep therapeutic issue that I am privy. to because I had to go through all of. this therapy and um family wakes and all. this [ __ ] with my husband. He's sober.

now and I'm and I'm very grateful. But see, the number one thing you learn. in therapy is that secrets keep you. sick. The number one thing. And so whether. that secret is that you're heterosexual. and you like for your wife to peg you. with a big black dildo or your secret is. that your uh. gay, yet during the day you're married. and you have kids and uh advocate. against LGBTQ plus things. The ripple. effects of these secrets. and these men.

their secrets and their shame bind them. While some of them might be hiding the. fact that they are gay, some of them. might be hiding the fact that they're. kinky as [ __ ] Some of them might be. hiding the fact that um. they're trying to they're just pieces of. [ __ ] but they Christian signal and say. well the Lord does the Lord that. >> Some of them are rapists. >> Exactly. >> Yeah. >> And so I think that my takeaway from my. conversation with Hunter. >> Mhm. >> was that secrets.

keep you sick and he then dovetailed his. experience of trying to hide his. addiction and the shame he felt of that. and the inferiority he felt with that. with the secrets that a lot of these. Republican men have. And you can see it. just let's take Pete Hegseth Pete. Hegseth had a heterosexual clearly an. untreated alcoholic allegedly. Um. clearly my opinion low testosterone. which is why he wants everyone to have. testosterone right? And so he is trying. to create this veneer of somebody who he.

is not and that's what binds all of. these Republican men together are their. secrets. >> And it it's a performance of. masculinity. It's a performance of. heterosexuality whether or not they're. heterosexual or not they are performing. heterosexuality all the time. It's a. performance of dominance. Again. that's more interesting to me than. I guess and and I don't mean to talk in. circles but a sort of like who's. secretly gay and again I just struggle. to and I'm.

I'm right there with you. All of these. forces cause men to behave brutally. >> Mhm. >> But to pretend that this is. a uniquely gay issue I think one is. statistically not true. Two. it it's like well then. why are all the straight men that we. know are straight in MAGA behaving this. way? >> I think you. >> You know what I mean? >> is a productive conversation. I think. you bring up a lot of really good. points. And I. I do believe that a a sexual shame is a.

driving force and a lot of secrets that. banned a lot of these MAGA men together. >> Yeah. >> Um I appreciate your concern about these. accusations. um. that we have to be careful that it. doesn't harm your community. And I think. it's a very valid thing to say and I. respect the hell out of it. >> Thank you. And I and I think it it's. just again, it's just it's the direction.

that we take this. It's like I I agree. with you that sexual shame. undergirds American life. But is where we go with that to try to. deconstruct the sexual shame for all. people or is it. you know let's opine endlessly on Reddit. about who's gay. That to me is an important choice about. where we take it. >> I I I don't I'm not that deep with it.

>> I am. >> I'm like if somebody [laughter] say if. >> I am and it's bad for me. >> somebody is a hypocrite, if somebody is. a Lindsey Graham is a total war hawk nut. job family values masquerading Christian. signaling traditional family values and. he was never married and hiring trans. sex workers at night, I want it exposed. Just like journalism in its most pure. form is about shining a light on. corruption. To me this is corruption. Furthermore, if somebody says. like the whole trans thing when it comes.

up, my immediate response is, why are. you so obsessed with trans people? What's all that about? [clears throat]. Where does that come from? When um Riley Gaines is non non non stop. about traditional families and trans. people, I'm like, what's all that about? That's a weird thing to be obsessed. with. >> But I I actually think Riley Gaines is a. good example. And you know, we can like. get into the some of the WNBA stuff if. we want, but like the reason that Riley. Gaines is obsessed with trans people is. not because Riley Gaines is obsessed. with trans people. It's because Riley. Gaines is obsessed with money. When Riley Gaines first.

tied for fifth place. >> [laughter]. >> 3 years ago with a trans swimmer in. college in a race that nobody knew. about, her first interview that she gave about. that race was it was a little bit of a. bummer to have to share the fifth place. podium. with another person. And you know, they gave you know, the. the trans swimmer the trophy and they. mailed me mine in the mail. I didn't. even know there was a podium or a trophy. for fifth place. But I digress. [laughter].

I digress. She was robbed of that fifth. place trophy everyone always wants. >> heard of that either. >> Yeah. But. in that first interview that she gave to. like a local news and it's still online. She was like, I wish my opponent well in. her transition, no hard feelings. And then like 2 years later. after she's gotten the book deal, the. OutKick podcast deal, the Fox News. regular appearances, the CPAC speaking. gig standing next to Trump. Now she's.

talking about the size of the genitals. of her opponent. Now she's being so. needlessly cruel. Is it because she cares deeply about. trans people and the safety of women's. locker rooms or whatever? No, it's. because she cares about getting money. >> Yeah. >> And she knows what plays well online. And I think, you know, we just watched. something really interesting happen with. Sophie Cunningham. Have you been. following this? >> Okay, tell my viewers and listeners,

give like a you know, CliffNotes version. of Sophie Cunningham and then I'll have. questions for you. >> I'm so excited to explain sports. >> Okay, yeah. >> to your audience. >> Explain it. CliffsNotes. >> in everyone. >> CliffsNotes version. >> Um Sophie Cunningham is a. and this is like. objective. This isn't me trying to be. snarky. She is like a. a not very memorable WNBA player. >> Okay. >> And I say not very memorable because I. think in like the last like four games. she scored four points. She is known for. being on the bench.

>> Okay, she's a bench rider. >> She's a yeah, exactly. I didn't even know that was a thing. But. I'm learning. I'm learning through this. controversy. But. the CliffsNotes of what happened is she. I mean she's she looks like Riley. Gaines. >> Okay. >> She is and also kind of like you. I mean. this is why. >> MAGA coded. >> MAGA coded. >> Okay. >> And she has become sort of the face of. the WNBA's latest controversy around. like trans women's participation in the. WNBA. First of all, there are no trans.

women competing in the WNBA. There are. no trans women who have ever competed in. the WNBA. There are no trans women. currently set to compete in the WNBA. And there's no trans women even being. like, "Let me play in the WNBA right. now." So just. the like this isn't happening. But of. course we know we're many years into. this being uh. elevated as a hypothetical issue. uh because a cruelty is an American. pastime and also because it helps.

distract from all sorts of other things. that the MAGA movement is doing that's. very unpopular. Look at your gas prices. But so Sophie Cunningham has been. elevated because she she did this ESPN. profile where she was like, "You know, I. I'm not a political person. I just think. that we shouldn't have, you know, trans. women playing in basketball because I. care about protecting little girls or. whatever.". And then she gets like a small crowd. that comes out for her next game. They. stand outside. They're all holding.

anti-trans signs. We love you Sophie, like never back down. And then she it's. like, oh my god, it's you got a job. But. she she then [snorts] like people boo. her inside of the stadium and they're. calling her anti-trans and it just sort. of gets whipped up and whipped up and. whipped up. And then, you know, Sophie Cunningham is a surprise ring. girl. I might be getting these events a. little bit out of order, but she's like. a ring girl for some UFC fight. She's. there with Dana White. She's there for a.

fight that is in one of the fighters is. Conor McGregor, who's an alleged rapist. >> Yeah. >> Which kind of really poke a hole and she. >> A violent violent violent sexual. assaulter. >> Happy as a clam to be the ring girl for. that fight. I don't know where. protecting women and girls went in that. equation for her. >> Oh my god. >> But you know, it is what it is, I guess. >> that? >> And uh yeah, she just kind of has become. this mega darling very quickly. She was. take court side with Riley Gaines taking. photos. She's posting on Instagram with.

the caption, I said what I said. And. she's whipping this up and she's getting. more attention for herself than she's. ever gotten as a basketball player. Her Instagram following balloons to over. 2 million. And then, a couple weeks into this whole. thing, she gives an interview and she. says, I think we should go back to just. talking about basketball. And you know why? Because. she saw the tea leaves for her own. career. She saw what.

object cruelty has done for the likes of. Riley Gaines. And she said, I want a piece of that pie. because I am not going to be making a. lot of money and getting a lot of. attention as a basketball player for the. rest of my life, but what I could do is. be really cruel to trans people on Fox. News and make a lot more money that way. And then she actually got into the belly. of the the ever so briefly. She was given the opportunity and I also.

think she was shown who her supporters. would have been had she pursued that. line of work. And these are people whose day in day. out thinking is about trans people. who are obsessed with this issue. And she said. "Actually, I think this is a miserable. way to live. and let's go back to playing about let's. go back to talking about basketball.". And it's funny, she ultimately made the. opposite calculus of Riley Gaines, which.

is like this isn't for me. I don't think. I can do this. This is all a little bit. much. to be this, you know, culture war. lightning rod figure. And. I don't know. It it there's a unique. type of person. like a you know, a conventionally. beautiful. unchallenging white blonde young woman. who. can make that sort of calculus, who gets. presented with the opportunity to be a. figurehead of bigotry.

and then decide to not do it only after. she's whipped millions of people. into a frenzy about this issue. And the. one thing I want to add, too, is that amidst this because. she's attempted to withdraw herself from. this issue. but the controversy around the WNBA. hasn't stopped. And I think it's sad because the WNBA, as you probably know, has gotten more. attention and money and fans and airtime. this year than it ever has. Women's.

basketball is like. has become one of the pillars of like. American culture. How amazing for all of. the incredible women. who have fought for that to be the case. And yet, if you Google the WNBA right. now. the top results aren't about women's. basketball. They're not about the players. They're. not about upcoming games. They're not. about any of that. They are about. cisgender men, former NBA players who are retired and.

trying to make a name for themselves. doing something else. And so a number of them, including a guy. named Enes Kanter, have come forward and said, "I am. submitting myself for the WNBA draft. because I'm a woman.". And they're pulling this stunt and. saying, "Well, if all you need is to say. you're a woman, then I'm a woman and I'm I want to be. drafted." Mind you, no trans woman has. even done this. But they're saying, "Well, I'm a woman.". And it's like, "Okay, well then start.

taking estrogen. Go into the world and live as a as a. trans woman. Change your pronouns. Get facial feminization surgery. Do all. of these things that a lot of trans. women feel like they have to do exist in. the world. And then. tell me what a privilege it is to be a. trans woman." But anyway, when you. Google the WNBA right now, all of these. men pulling these stunts, that's the. first thing that comes up. And it's. like, "Yeah, I guess we're we're really. doing this for women, right?" That's the. CliffNotes. >> So, here's my takeaway from all of this. Number one, this is incredibly.

disgraceful. Um on a on a number of. fronts, but the first thing that I see. is that. sports have always been inherently. political. If you look back in the NBA's. history, you see a lot of racism. in the early days. You see that Larry. Bird was the white player in Boston when. Boston was deeply racist against uh. Magic Johnson, the black guy in LA. And. sports have helped us.

evolve socially. And a lot of people. say, "Keep politics out of sports.". Well, it's the racists and the bigots. that are always injecting politics into. sports. But set that aside. Basketball is dominated by African. Americans, both in women and men's, both the NBA. and the WNBA. >> Mhm. >> And if I were on a team in a team sport. and I saw what the Supreme Court just. did with the Voting Rights Act, >> Mhm. >> my best use of time, if I'm Sophie,

would be to stand with the teammates of. mine that are women of color who are. always browbeaten in this country more. than anybody else. And. for her to think she's going to have a. safe space. with these bigots, these transphobic. big- bigots, because they call all black. women trans people. We just famously saw. on the White House grounds at the UFC, they called a very successful, Ivy. League educated uh first lady, Michelle.

Obama, they called her trans because. there's something so broken in these. people that makes them feel better to do. that. So, the thing that pisses me off about. these types of basketball fans is that. they refuse to stand up for the black. community. I mean, Enes Kanter used to. play for the Oklahoma City Thunder, so I. know exactly who he is. >> Mhm. >> And um he was a normal player, whatnot, and then he like changed his name to. Enes Freedom.

>> Yeah, he added freedom to the last. >> [ __ ] And and again, Enes Kanter is who. Enes Kanter is because not only is he a. good athlete or was he a good athlete, but because of black athletic. excellence, which has thrived in the. NBA. And. to be a member of a team and walk away. with such bigotry like that is just. it it it it shows me more about those. particular people than it does this.

whole trans issue, but I think your. point and that we have to keep driving. home is MAGA wants to fight issues that. are nonexistent. There There zero trans. players in the WNBA. So, let's talk. about the Voting Rights Act because. there are a lot of black people in the. NBA and the WNBA, and the Republican. Party is trying to dismantle their right. to vote, but nobody talks about that. because they talk about imaginary issues. that don't [ __ ] exist. >> Yeah. Yeah, and when this whole Sophie.

Cunningham thing kicked up, what you had immediately. was she was surrounded by these Riley. Gaines figures, by these Tomi Lahren. figures, by all of these not just women, but all of these conservative media. figures on social media. They're going. to her games, they're taking pictures. with her, they're elevating her. You're. one of us now. Join the club. You're a. Fox News darling. Come. and. I Something that's really interesting to.

me. is on all of the pieces of content made. about this, including Enes Kanter's. uh announcement that he's like being. drafted for the WNBA cuz like he's like. self-identifying as a woman. Okay, whatever. All of these comments are these. conservatives online like foaming at the. mouth for this. And. what I want to say to those people. is like don't you want more for yourself. as an American right now?

>> [snorts]. >> I mention. all of these conservative figures. propping up this whole story. because they would like you you, not. you, but like all of these. conservatives, their base, right? Especially online where a lot of this. stuff goes down. They want these people to believe that. like their lives will be bettered for. this, that they will. reap the benefits of like another day of. cruelty towards trans people.

But they won't. Nothing is going to happen as a result. of this except more trans people. suffering, people who they'll never. meet. And the only people who do get a. piece of this pie. are all of those Republican media. figureheads chiming in. because they have a new round of. discourse to make content about. So much of this is driven by people's. personal ambition in media. And I say. that as like two people sitting here who. have media careers, but like we know how. this works. >> Yeah.

>> The only people benefiting from this are. the commentators. That's it. And so what. I want to say to all of these. conservatives who are like, "Yeah, you. go, sister." You know, saying this to Enes Kanter, right? >> Mhm. >> I'm like, "Don't you want. better health care that's also free? Don't you want cheaper gas? Don't you want transparency around. Jeffrey Epstein? Don't you want all of these things that.

your elected leaders aren't doing for. you right now? Donald Trump, through Caroline Levitt, is celebrating Sophie Cunningham. Do you think all of these people are. really deeply invested in the zero trans. basketball players in the WNBA? Or do they know that they can spoon-feed. this slop to their base. who will foam at the mouth for it? And to an extent, like I I feel badly. for them.

because they are being so successfully. distracted from the fact that they don't. have any of the things that they deserve. as human beings in the United States of. America. And of course, the people who pay the. ultimate price are trans people. >> I know. It It's. It's. The trans issue is something that is so. um. really, really sad to me because. the fixation with it, I think, is a. uh.

backlash to how quickly gay marriage. moved. And if you think about it in. terms that when Barack Obama ran in '08, he was against gay marriage. And Joe Biden was against gay marriage. I think behind the scenes they weren't, but they were following, you know, public opinion as a lot of politicians. do. And then they both said, "No, we're. actually for it." And you see the these. civil rights in real time really. manifest themselves. And so the. Republicans are like, "Okay, who can we. scapegoat now?" So they moved to trans. people. And they always have to continue.

to It's like a drug for them. They have. to continue to up the dosage. And um. trans people exist and have existed. everywhere. And I think the biggest. thing that I get to when we get to all. of this is why are Democrats not saying. very clearly that okay, you you get your way Republicans. We ban. trans people everywhere you want them to. be banned and we do cancel pronouns and. we cancel all this stuff. How does your.

life get better? >> Mhm. >> It doesn't. It changes nothing. It. absolutely changes nothing. But instead. you have politicians, Democratic. establishment candidates that. participate in the transphobia by. saying, "Well, we got to talk about. kitchen table issues." And I was talking. to Peppermint the other day, a trans. woman, and she says, "Trans people have. kitchen tables, too.". And I just think that it we have to have. a politics that. aggressively. um attacks this. I think that Riley.

Gaines needs to be dismantled all day, every day. She would have zero career, zero, >> Yeah. >> without trans people. She should have a. boat afloat at the pride parade with a. big crown on because no one has. benefited from trans people as much as. Riley Gaines. She would be [ __ ]. nothing without it. That's all she can. do. And so furthermore, and this goes. into how we started the episode.

They did a little study, Matt, on um. conception of trans porn. Guess what lit up all over the United. States of America? >> The South. >> Deep red counties, number one being Latn. Oklahoma. >> Yeah. >> And so, uh. >> I actually did know that. I actually do. look at the Pornhub stats, too, Jen. [laughter]. >> Okay, I wanted to I want to leave you. for Oh my god, we're good. I just want. to get one more thing here. Um I want to. leave I want to talk about how it's so.

awesome that Abdul El-Sayed won. >> Mhm. >> It's so incredible. And so, in. >> Can I just say really fast? >> Yeah. >> What you're saying about the Democrats, cuz they cower away from this issue. They cower away from protecting trans. people, because that's also what they do. on a host of issues, mainstream. establishment Democrats, cuz they don't. have their own positive vision. And. something that you saw. from people like Abdul El-Sayed, and. also Zephyr Teachout and Mondaire Jones, was when they when people tried to turn.

trans rights into a gotcha, and like a. culture war flash point in their. campaigns, should, you know, trans people in. prisons get health care? Yes, and also you should get health. care. And they immediately, by bringing it. back to that economic basis of like. these are things that we all deserve as. Americans, they bring it back to. what really should matter to people, which is not hypotheticals about trans. people in sports, but your right to have. health care without freaking out that an. ambulance is going to bankrupt you.

>> Yeah. >> And they did that so successfully. And. there are some people on like the rising. sort of populist movement who kind of. just like skirt around issues of like. identity. They make it entirely about economics, but there's a way for these things to be. in conversation with one another. And I. think the best of us right right the. people like Zephyr Teachout and the. people like Abdul, God bless him, they are fusing these two. They're not. leaving trans people behind. They're not. leaving women in red states behind.

They're not leaving any groups of people. behind. They're saying, "You know what? These people deserve their human rights, and so do you.". >> I think that this is a great place to. leave it because I think that it's so. important that Democrats not capitulate. to right-wing framing. And they do it. all the time. They feel like, "Okay, if. we give them a little bit of this issue, then then they'll like us." And this. pick-me Democratic establishment. um. positioning bugs the [ __ ] out of me. But.

I agree that our positioning needs to. be, "You might not understand it. You. might not get it. I think that Democrats. need to acknowledge to a person who. lives in suburbia or rural America, you. might not understand why Matt has pink. nails on. And that's okay. You don't. have to understand it. But whatever you. deserve, he deserves. >> Yeah. >> You deserve the same thing. And he might. not understand why you shoot guns every. day. And so it's a mutual thing of.

misunderstanding, but we cannot leave. the rubes behind, and we cannot leave, you know, Matt and his fabulousness. because I think that we have to have a. politics where we do not capitulate in. any way, shape, or form to the bigotry. that is right-wing framing. >> These are my weapons. These are my guns. >> That's right, baby. Mhm. And those And. those just fierce cheekbones. >> Oh, you better stop. I got them. [laughter] from my mama. >> Matt, this has been so great. I love you. so much personally. Thank you so much.

for coming to my studio. >> Always spirited, Jen. I love you. >> love you.