Watch Democrats Take a U-Turn on Men in Women's Sports

It has been a trifle baffling, for the last few years, how Democrats and their socialist fellow travelers have clung so tightly to the issue of men competing in women's sports. It's even more baffling how they have clung to the notion of transgender treatments for minors. There's an argument to be made for adults; adults can give informed consent and are, presumably, free to decide for themselves. Children are not.

Both of these issues have been wildly unpopular almost since they first popped up, and now, with Democrats hoping to take control of the House and Senate in the 2026 midterms, it's not too surprising to see some Democrats abandoning these positions. The problem is, it's likely too little, too late.

South Carolina Democratic Senate nominee Dr. Annie Andrews appears to be distancing herself from her past opposition to restricting transgender athletes in girls' sports, telling Fox News Digital she opposes biological males competing in women's sports and gender transition surgeries for minors.

As Democrats fight to regain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, Andrews is among a group of candidates in competitive races in red and swing states who seem to be shifting positions on transgender issues. Meanwhile, Republicans are aiming to use the highly-charged issue as a cudgel to bash Democrats for a second straight cycle.

"I don't support biological men playing in women's sports, and I don't support gender surgery on minors," Andrews told Fox News Digital.

Andrews is duking out the 2026 election with Senator Darline Graham (R-SC), who replaced her brother, the late Senator Lindsey Graham, in that seat, and Senator Graham is also hitting this message hard.

 Graham and Republicans point to Andrews' opposition to a 2022 South Carolina law barring transgender athletes from competing on girls' and women's public school sports teams.

"This is shameful legislation that does nothing to protect or support women or children in SC. In fact, it is actively harmful. I will always support trans youth," Andrews wrote in a social media post at the time.

Republicans will have to fight this midterm election down to the wire, but it is a winning issue for them.  The sports issue alone has been pretty much an 80-20 issue from the outset, with the Democrats on the wrong side. There's good reason for that, backed by hard data and facts: No amount of hormone treatment and surgery will ever erase the physical advantages of having an X and a Y chromosome. As for the other issue, transgender treatments for minors, that, if anything, may be even less popular with the American public. 

And plenty of Democrats are on record as favoring both of these things. This is a big, beautiful cudgel that Republican candidates can and should hammer their Democrat opponents with from now to Election Day, and GOP candidates should also find every Democrat's past statements on this issue and wrap it around their necks like an albatross.

The primary message? On this issue, as with so many others, so many Democrats' positions are situational. They supported these things in the past, but now, when winning or losing an election is at stake, they do a lateral arabesque to oppose them. 

Once again, they are all about principals, not principles. That's just how it is. And that's how Republicans can beat them.

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