Days after signing a bill that bans transgender athletes from competing in female sports, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice was unable to provide any specific examples of a transgender person gaining an unfair athletic advantage. NBC News' Stephanie Ruhle spared with the Republican governor over his state's priorities and why he chose to sign an anti-transgender bill over focusing on other issues.
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Get him Stephenie 💯🗽
@Trev Gabel – – How many people are transgender in the US? How many are transgender in Virginia. How many are transitioning in high school school? How many of those are male to female transgender? How many of those desire to play female sports while in high school?
Very very small number, if any.
Stephanies argument is a bad one, because it can be used to justify passing the bill. “Why are you worried about a bill that will have little to no effect on anyone?” – would be my response to her.
Specifically, on this scenario – he is correct. A trans-female has a potential unfair advantage playing female sports. It is the only limitation that transgender people should have.
Also, his state congress passed this bill. The people of his state, wanted it. He just signed what the people wanted. When faced with logical yes or no question- he made the right call.
By the way, WV is the wannabe liberal state there is. They are not like Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, etc. just FYI.
@Bat Boy why is the government – especially a republican run government – inserting itself into privately run and operated sports leagues? i agree that individuals who went through the majority of their lives as men and benefiting from the hormonal advantages that brings shouldnt be able to compete against women who dont know, and have not consented to competing against a trans athlete. it should be handled on a case by case basis by the leagues or schools.
however, this is the definition of state sanctioned discrimination plain and simple.
@Bat Boy holyfuck just say you’re transphobic and leave. You don’t have to put up this fake facade of you supporting trans people, go away
@toebag – thanks fellow liberal 😀 dealing with hysterical liberals is my speciality.
@Bat Boy pushing people’s buttons to the limit may be cunning but you dont need intelligence just look at tRump. Have a great weekend tRumpian.😊🤪
Oh yikes. She brought those receipts…
Oh look, the state that brought us Joe Manchin is, in fact, full of idiots!
WOMANS RIGHTS anyone?
WOMEN’S RIGHTS anyone?
@J. Karpinski We all realize how ignorant you are!
@J. Karpinski , my handle says it all in response to your guessing and betting/ What an intransigent, insular, paranoid, and presumptive individual you self-describe. I like wearing a mask because I make my own and will continue to protect myself and those I love because who knows what virus will challenge us next.
@J. Karpinski I’m not surprised that you had to choose an analogy in which a gun appears. Hey, this is fun 🤗👍🏿 Now your turn. You’re not surprised that I..? I’m listening 🤚🏿👂🏿
He signed it because it was politically expedient to do so. WV is 45th in the country in education? Not surprising when the governor has trouble with English.
Christian hate
He sounds like he has no choice. His party is so far right that they won’t do anything reasonable anymore.
His brother Sheriff Buford T. Justice was a better authority figure.
@BigBadJerry Rogers If only he wasn’t kept busy chasing the Bandit…
We are 45th in education because he and the legislature provide no support to teachers. Instead, this session, they have spent their time passing retaliation bills against us for striking last year and the year before. We can’t keep teachers here because the WV Republican Party is pushing people out. Very few qualified teachers (like myself) are left, so the gaps are filled by unqualified substitutes. We love these children and provide for them out of our own minuscule pay. My job and my students are my life. He, on the other hand, is a disgusting waste of a human being and a sorry excuse for a governor.
Thank You Stephanie…..done and dusted. My heart still aches for all being knowingly disadvantaged by this man’s mind-set but at least you’ve set him straight, in front of us, on this one disgrace.
The only disadvantage would be a man taking advantage of being in a girl’s league.
@Paul Wilson dey shouldn’t be playing in da first place!!! I votes for jim nd he tries and knows wat he doin
idle hands What about the biological fact that men are on average stronger than women?
@Dositless well they logic it that girls need to work harder now to complete with boys in drag
@Dositless that was my point.
West Virginia ranks 50th in infrastructure, 49th in hunger, 47th in health care, 46th in poverty rate and 45th in education
But I’m glad the governor found time in his busy schedule to sign such an important bill. He really has his priorities straight
Making it a fly around, not over state. lol
@Ana Lara your comment projects an aura of the West Virginian educational system 😅
@Matthias our education system is jus fine, da liberals made up da statistics bout us being last to push their agenda. We smarter den you liberals
@Matthias yhu liberals always make fun of our education cistem but last time i checked, new york nd California ranked last as well, yall aint better den us!
@Bat Boy It has nothing to do with transgenderism directly, but why is he spending time and resources on this anti-transgender bill when there’s so much other issues that actually need attention. Why is it a priority to him?
Oh she had him for dinner 😂😂😂
They just need someone to hate. It is what fuels them and animates their existance. If they had nothing to hate they would have no reason to live.
@Bat Boy prove it, the world news called
You’re not needed back
@Josh Allen There’s no part of the conversation that I enjoy, buddy. I’m a lesbian Latina leftist; I *am* the boogie man. Republicans have no love for me. They’d deny me the right to marry as quickly as they’d spit on me — a few of whom have.
There’s nothing fun about disagreeing with a crowd either. But it also isn’t hateful to speak truth as I see it. I’ve been nothing but polite, but I’m female, and I train MMA, so I’ve got skin in the game. Look at what happened to Tamikka Brents; I shouldn’t have to risk a TBI to work out, right?
Also, kindly note that I’ve listed examples every time I comment. That’s not shame or repression, it’s disagreement and rebuttal.
If you can address the points I’ve made, though, I’m open to hearing them!
Over 6000 high school boys in the U.S. have a faster 100 metre dash time than the womens olympic record. If one decided to put on a dress they would claim all the accolades and scholarships and gold medals.
@hockey addict so boys would claim to be girls, to take awards, meanwhile, take harrassment, violence and hate
@Gerald Berdynski money will make people do lots of things. How much money would be saved on a 4 year college scholarship and Olympic gold medalist make millions on endorsements. As for the hate you think they would receive..you obviously haven’t been paying attention. These kids are treated like royalty these days or else you get cancelled.
Stephanie – this was great. People like you help me to understand, that und why US are now beginning to come back to the great country we admired for so many reasons. Greetings from Germany.
As an American, thank you! Some of us are trying to help our country regain some respect from the rest of the world. We do have potential, I just know we must! 🙂
GIRL! Stephanie… I just screamed and hollered. You go witcho bad self!!!
@Paul Wilson since when are interviews soft ball questions? You’re expected to grill politicians with tough questions. If you can’t answer them then you don’t deserve the seat of power.
@Paul Wilson Or are you a little girl too cowardly to face it like a man
@Paul Wilson the governor wasn’t on fox..
She asked for example of transgender on girls sports teams..there were none…the governor also said he knows of about 12 transgender kids in the state! How does he know that? I believe under HIPAA that would be confidential. Not only that..but a law was created for approximately 12 -20 people? Wow..see yah in supreme court.
@Paul Wilson Sometimes. Look up Thomas Payne.
@Paul Wilson She was armed with facts. She is what is known as a “prepared Journalist.” His policy decisions make him the partisan.
JimJustice: “I sign hundreds of bills without looking at them, just sit them in front of me and it’s practically already signed!”
Us the people: please sign all these blank checks for us.
Stahp critisizing our govenor, he a gud man nd knows wat he is doin
@Ana Lara 😁😄😅🤣Good one
@Joseph our educashun sistem in WV is one of da best, we gots the best skools in the country
@Ana Lara is this Satire ma’am? 😧😂😂😂😂😂
Go ahead Stephanie keep pushing him he is fumbling🤣🤣🤣🤣
The problem with coming in with 45th in education, is they think 50th is the high score.
This dude is a great example of Dunning-Kruger Effect. There’s no excuse as a governor to be so uneducated about important issues. Puberty blockers, which are completely reversible, of course, prevent trans girls ( who would have been assigned male at birth) from developing any physical advantages over other girls. It’s a fact that you do have to learn about, but it’s easy to comprehend common-sense. So, bad public education isn’t even an excuse though! Which just makes it funnier in a very dark way.
I’m a West Virginian and I’m super psyched Stephanie pushed him! We don’t all agree with them, and many of us are adamantly against it. He’s has no idea what he’s talking about, which is evidenced here. Can’t wait until you upload Rosemary Ketchum’s interview so that I can watch it!!!
Hey Olivia! I’m also a West Virginia resident. I attended High School and University in West Virginia before leaving the state for a career as a nurse and medic with the U.S. Army. I’ve retired young from the U.S. Army due to combat wounds and will now be seeking my PhD in a different field of endeavor. I’m in WV now because of having family in the state. I’ve always lectured about WV’s rankings in the cited areas and more and I also don’t dig the voting tendencies of the state. Lol. I thought that the way this lunacy was called out and put down was wonderful and I wanted to respond to your comment simply because I think it’s wonderful to see another WV resident who’s intelligent and seemingly like minded. Have a fantastic day and it’s nice to ” sort of” meet you!
I’m not from West Virginia, but I have lived here for most of my life. I’m disgusted with much of what is happening currently. It is sadistic to alienate children who are already vulnerable. There are far more pressing issues in this state that should be prioritized, like Stephanie mentioned education, economy, and infrastructure. When you have to pay people to move to the state because so many are leaving, you have a serious problem.
Hey to all you WV folks! I’m from Frederick County, MD, and currently live in Hagerstown, so I’ve spent a great deal of time in WV over the years. I had in laws in Harper’s Ferry, and had my wedding reception in the backyard of the historic home they had there. It’s always really nice to hear from people like you all who represent the more open-minded parts of that beautiful state! Please help vote in better representation! <3
Good for you Stephanie. They are doing incredible harm to students who already face discrimination.
Oh snap. You have now joined the ranks of the other female reporters/investigators that I deeply admire and respect above all others, male or female. I love the way you interviewed him. God bless and be safe.
Guuurl get him to the Burn 🔥 unit ….stat!!!! You rock Stephanie
Thank you Stephanie ♡
For what?
0:36 *Stephanie picks up all of her receipts*
Me: Oooooooh this is about to get GOOD *grabs popcorn*
Go Stephanie! Thank you for standing up for the kids!