(John Ransom, Headline USA) Former Vice President Mike Pence has also rejected Lia Thomas’ award for the NCAA 500-yard freestyle championship, citing Thomas’ status as a transitioning transgendered male, as an unfair competitive advantage.
The 6’1” Thomas recently was awarded the NCAA 500-yard freestyle championship, after beating a bevy of competition of made up of swimmers who were born women.
Pence made the comments to a question that he received from the audience at an event at the University of Virginia, where runner-up Emma Weyant swims for the Cavaliers, said the Daily Mail.
Previously, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis had proclaimed that Weyant, who grew up in Florida, was really the winner of that event under an official proclamation of the state of Florida.
Attending an event at the UVA hosted by the Young America’s Foundation, Pence replied to an audience member who asked what he would say to Weyant after she lost the title to Thomas when the university’s “tradition of excellence” was “upended by the woke left” and Weyant “”was robbed of a medal,” according to Business Insider.
‘Emma Weyant won that race’: Mike Pence says UVA swimmer was cheated out of NCAA victory by transgender Lia Thomas in speech attacking woke culture and erosion of free speech
via https://t.co/R7mV0rVXXP https://t.co/jdoTibr37R— Benny (@bennyjohnson) April 13, 2022
“Thank you so much for that thoughtful question. Emma Weyant won that race,” Pence said.
Pence has been engaged in a nationwide speaking tour that has fueled speculation that he may be running for President of the United States in 2024.
“Former Vice President Mike Pence is speaking Tuesday night at the University of Virginia as speculation grows about a potential 2024 presidential run. His speech is titled ‘How to save America from the woke left,’” reported CBS News.
More likely Pence is just trying to rebuild his conservative bona fides after his split with Trump caused him to crater in popularity amongst the Republican party’s most ardent volunteers.
Prior to the UVA event, progressive student activists had tried to get the speech canceled via an editorial in the student newspaper. The number of attendees to the event dwarfed the handful of protesters at the event.
“I know that in his State of the Union address, President [Joe] Biden promised to stand for the God-given right of men to compete in women’s sports,” Pence told the packed crowd, which relished the humor.
