WASHINGTON — Rep. Sarah McBride, the nation’s first openly transgender U.S. congressperson from Delaware, sharply criticized the Republican Party, calling its focus on culture war issues “weird and bizarre.”
This comes after Texas Republican Rep. Keith Self introduced McBride as, “Mr. McBride.”
McBride, born Tim McBride, born a male, began identifying themselves as a woman at the age of 21, the congressperson says in their biography.
“We will not take a lecture on decorum from a party that incited an insurrection,” McBride said in a recent statement. “I appear to live rent-free in the minds of some of my Republican colleagues. I wish that they would spend even a fraction of the time that they spend thinking about me, thinking about how to lower the costs for American families.”
McBride accused Republicans of prioritizing divisive rhetoric over governance, arguing that their actions undermine public confidence in government. “They are obsessed with culture war issues,” they said. “The American people deserve serious legislators, serious elected officials who are focused on bringing people together to deliver real results.”
“It is weird and it is bizarre,” McBride said.
McBride’s comments come amid growing partisan tensions over LGBTQ+ rights and broader social policies. Her remarks are likely to intensify the debate as the 2024 election cycle heats up.