Retired pro-wrestler threatens trans kids on Fox News

Tyrus, a former professional wrestler, has threatened to assault any transgender swimmer who dares enter a pool with his cisgender daughter. It’s at least the second time that he has publicly threatened to assault a trans child.

The 375-pound, 6-foot 7-inch tall, 50-year-old wrestler made his comments while serving as a commentator on the September 12 installment of the Fox News program Gutfeld! The show’s titular host, Greg Gutfield, began the segment by mentioning that left-wing commentator Keith Olbermann referred to former competitive swimmer and anti-trans activist Riley Gaines as a “nasty, stupid, unsuccessful transphobe” who “sucked at swimming.”

Related:

Bomb threat causes library evacuation after anti-trans activist Riley Gaines attacked it online

Now she’s threatening to sue Pink News for reporting on it.

Gaines swam for the University of Kentucky and, in 2022, tied for fifth place with trans female swimmer Lia Thomas in the 200-yard freestyle. Although Gaines lost to four cisgender women, she described sharing fifth place with a trans woman as “heartbreaking and somber.” She has since devoted her life to speaking publicly against trans athletes.

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In Gaines’ defense, Tyrus said, “She did fight a trained man in a swimming pool to a draw, and he had her by weight, muscle, and length. That’s pretty f**king impressive. Let’s not forget that.” 

To be clear, competitive swimmers do not “fight” in pools. They swim in individual lanes and don’t interact with one another. Tyrus also didn’t mention whether any of the other swimmers who beat Gaines had a height or weight advantage over her.

Then, completely speculating and misgendering Thomas, Tyrus added, “A lot of women would have probably been a little intimidated because I’m sure he was doing what men do, intimidate, stare down, all that type – if you watch it back. He was cocky, and she showed that it takes a superwoman athlete to have to compete with him.”

“My daughters all swim and if – and I go to as many meets as I can, and I’m watching because I’ll be the dad to get arrested for snatching one out of the pool,” Tyrus said, threatening to physically remove any children from the pool who he assumes to be transgender and, thus, a threat to his daughter’s athletic career.

Tyrus said that trans female athletes are “just creepy men who can’t compete” who “use the feelings of the left to support them because they want to win.” He added that trans female athletes want to “steal things from women” because “they can’t take them from [men].”

In reality, trans athletes don’t endure the long, complicated process of medical transitioning just to win at sports or otherwise “steal things from women.”

In fact, Thomas herself has said, “Trans people don’t transition for athletics. We transition to be happy and authentic and our true selves.”

This marks at least the second time that Tyrus has threatened to assault trans kids while on Gutfeld’s show. In August, he threatened to assault his children if they ever shared their preferred pronouns with him.

“If my kids came home and said, ‘Daddy, my pronouns is this, this and this,’ yeah, my pronoun would be ‘ass-whooping,'” he said.

A May survey from the Trevor Project found that only 38% of LGBTQ+ youth felt that their home was a supportive environment. A July study from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found that 64% of trans and nonbinary young people reported feeling discriminated against in the past year due to their gender identity, and 27% of trans and nonbinary young people reported being physically threatened or harmed in the past year due to their gender identity.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. The Trans Lifeline (1-877-565-8860) is staffed by trans people and will not contact law enforcement. The Trevor Project provides a safe, judgment-free place to talk for youth via chat, text (678-678), or phone (1-866-488-7386). Help is available at all three resources in English and Spanish.