Democrats are still struggling to define the word "woman." Axios recently asked the Democratic politicians most likely to run for president in 2028 a few basic questions about so-called transgender issues, including, "Can a man become a woman?" Nearly all of them declined to comment or failed to respond.
Axios also asked whether "transgender girls" should be able to play girls' sports and whether children should be given puberty blockers and hormones to help them "transition." Nearly 20 potential candidates were contacted. Gov. Josh Shapiro (D., Pa.), Pete Buttigieg, and Rahm Emanuel were the only ones who bothered to respond. Former vice president Kamala Harris, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California were among the Democrats who declined to weigh in.
Shapiro and Buttigieg referred to their vague remarks in prior interviews about how local officials and "experts" should make decisions about transgender participation in sports. Both have also implied that male athletes might have an unfair advantage when competing against females. Emanuel was the only Democrat who even acknowledged the question about whether men can become women. His answer to that, and the question about girls' sports, was "no."
In other words, Emanuel was the only prospective Democratic candidate for president who was willing to express views that are widely shared by the voting public. According to polling conducted last year, more than two-thirds of Americans said that gender is determined at birth. Support for banning transgender athletes in women's sports is even higher. We were unable to find any polls gauging public support for James Talarico's view that "God is nonbinary." Talarico, a Democrat, is running for U.S. Senate in Texas. Former president Barack Obama has called him a "terrific, talented young man."
The Axios report comes several days after Newsom dodged Ben Shapiro's question about whether "boys can become girls" on the governor's podcast. "Yeah, I just, well, I think, uh, for the grace of God," said Newsom. "Yeah. You know, God bless." Newsom was condemned for "throwing trans people under the bus" in 2025 after saying it was "deeply unfair" for male athletes to compete against female athletes.
Transgender issues became a contentious topic for Democrats in the aftermath of the 2024 election, with many highlighting the effectiveness of Donald Trump's infamous campaign ad ending with the tagline, "Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you." The ad featured a video clip of Harris expressing support for sex-change operations for illegal immigrants in prison. In her post-campaign memoir, 107 Days, Harris wrote that she did "not regret" following her "protective instincts." She dismissed critics who argued the ad had successfully portrayed her as a deranged liberal who would say anything to please the activist mob.
Just as notable as the silence from prospective Democratic presidential candidates was the outrage directed at Axios for daring to ask these questions. "You and Axios are a national embarrassment," wrote Michael Salfino, a fantasy football reporter for the Athletic, in response to an X post from Axios CEO Jim VandeHei.
"This is Axios shitting on Dems and platforming a GOP issue, but calling it journalism because they are 'vetting candidates,'" wrote former Obama tech guru James Villarrubia. "Axios is such shit these days."
Liberal podcaster Tim Miller was especially aggrieved. "'Can a man become a woman' is such a rage bait bullshit question," he wrote. "It has no bearing on policy. In a free country an adult can become whatever they want if they don’t harm others." Miller went on to disparage Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for having plastic surgery, which he argued was a form of "gender affirming care."
Not all liberal journalists were so eager to condemn Axios for asking questions. "Pathetic," wrote former CNN analyst Chris Cillizza. "Take a position and just defend it!" At least one Democratic strategist, Liam Kerr, agreed. He told Axios that candidates should have "a clear answer, whatever it is."
That might sound sensible to most people, but Democrats have repeatedly lashed out when asked to answer straightforward questions about sex and gender. Supreme Court justice Ketanji Brown Jackson famously said she was "not a biologist" when asked to define the word "woman" during her 2022 confirmation hearing. Jackson and her fellow justices heard arguments last week in a case involving West Virginia's efforts to ban transgender athletes from participating in women's sports. Lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union, who were arguing against the ban, were also unable to define what it means to be a man or a woman.
Last week on Capitol Hill, a Democratic medical expert declined to give a straight answer when asked if "men can get pregnant."
The 2028 primary will start to heat up later this year after the midterms. It's going to be one hell of a ride.
