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After the WWHL host called out McCain over her support of a teen who has advocated against trans athletes in women’s sports, McCain hit back, accusing Cohen of being “okay with violence against female athletes.”
Andy Cohen is calling out Meghan McCain over her comments about transgender athletes.
On Tuesday, the Watch What Happens Live host and The View alum clashed on X, formerly Twitter, after the former blasted the latter for “buying into the vilification of the trans community.”
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It began when McCain reshared a post from President Donald Trump’s Press Secretary, Karoline Levitt, who quoted a Daily Caller article announcing that Payton McNabb, 19, would be visiting the White House as a “special guest” of Trump. McNabb claimed she suffered a concussion during a high school volleyball game in 2022, after a trans opponent spiked the ball at her head.
Alongside Levitt’s post, McCain expressed her support for McNabb, who has advocated against trans athletes in women’s sports.
“I have had the pleasure of meeting Payton – she is incredibly smart, strong and brave. Both she and her family have been through the unthinkable,” wrote McCain, 40. “Democrats defending young women suffering from traumatic brain injuries as a result of trans athletes is why they will continue losing every election.”
I have had the pleasure of meeting Payton – she is incredibly smart, strong and brave. Both she and her family have been through the unthinkable.
Democrats defending young women suffering from traumatic brain injuries as a result of trans athletes is why they will continue… https://t.co/YQf6SVtjAW
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) March 4, 2025
@MeghanMcCain
Not long after she shared her post, Cohen took to the replies to call out McCain.
“Surprised you’re buying into the vilification of the trans community given the real problems happening in this country, your previous ally-ship of the lgbtq community, and the fact that this non issue affects about four people in this country,” wrote Cohen.
McCain hit back at Cohen, writing, “Surprised you’re okay with violence against female athletes. Peyton suffered serious brain damage – just one story.”
“You have my cell, always happy to talk privately or publicly on either of our shows because these conversations are reductive to hash out on social media,” she added.
Cohen has yet to publicly respond to McCain’s reply.
surprised you’re buying into the vilification of the trans community given the real problems happening in this country, your previous ally-ship of the lgbtq community, and the fact that this non issue affects about four people in this country.
— Andy Cohen (@Andy) March 4, 2025
@Andy
Surprised you’re okay with violence against female athletes. Peyton suffered serious brain damage – just one story.
You have my cell, always happy to talk privately or publicly on either of our shows because these conversations are reductive to hash out on social media. https://t.co/bZiaVIxJSR
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) March 4, 2025
@MeghanMcCain
Despite their contrasting political views, McCain has been a frequent WWHL guest in the past.
Cohen and McCain’s interaction comes after a GOP bill that would ban trans athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports failed to pass in Congress on Monday, with the bill defining sex as “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth,” according to The Hill.
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act received a 51-45 vote, and it needed 60 votes to advance — meaning that all Republican senators and seven Democrats would have needed to vote in favor of the bill for it to pass.
The proposed bill came after Trump signed an executive order prohibiting transgender students from competing in girls’ and women’s sports amid the GOP’s continued attempts to enact anti-trans legislation.
