'That is a fraud': Gov. DeSantis calls out Lia Thomas, biological men competing in women's sports
Governor Ron DeSantis blasted swimmer Lia Thomas and biological men competing in women's sports, after Riley Gaines was "assaulted" by pro-trans protestors.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis released a parody of the old Bud Light "Real Men of Genius" commercials taking aim at transgender female athletes, including Lia Thomas and CeCé Telfer among others.
Instead of Bud Light, which has been involved in a massive controversy over the brand’s partnership with Dylan Mulvaney, the ad introduces Freedom Heavy and "real men of women’s sports."
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to Iowa voters on March 10, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
"Today, we recognize the men who hacked the system," the voiceover says. "Once mediocre in the men’s division, now cream of the crop in the women’s. You couldn’t cut it with the boys, so you pushed women off the podium. Because without you, sports would be fair. Without you, women’s sports would be for well, women."
On Friday, DeSantis called out Thomas who competed and won the women’s NCAA Championship in the 500 free in 2022. He did not mention her by name but was referring to Thomas, who also tied with former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines in a separate event last year.
DeSantis declared Emma Weyant, a Florida native, the real winner of the 500 free last year.
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University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, left, accepts the winning trophy for the 500 Freestyle finals as second place finisher Emma Weyant and third place finisher Erica Sullivan, right, watch during the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
"It is wrong to have a swimmer compete for three years on the men’s swim team, switch to the women’s team, and then win the women’s national championship," the Florida governor said while speaking at Liberty University Friday. "That is a fraud. That is wrong."
DeSantis' latest comments come just days after Gaines, an outspoken advocate of preventing female-identifying biological males from competing in women's athletics, was "violently accosted, shouted at, physically assaulted, and barricaded in a room by protestors" after speaking to students at San Francisco State University.
Penn Quakers swimmer Lia Thomas, left, holds a trophy after finishing fifth in the 200 free at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships as Kentucky Wildcats swimmer Riley Gaines looks on at Georgia Tech in Atlanta March 18, 2022. (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)
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The Biden administration has also proposed changes to Title IX to bar states from banning transgender athletes from competing against the gender they identity with. The White House has also said it would veto a Republican-backed bill which would keep the playing field level.
Fox News’ Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.