Rent-free

Sarah McBride says she lives ‘rent-free’ in Republicans’ heads

The Delaware Democrat’s comments came days after a GOP colleague misgendered her.

Nicholas Wu

Rep. Sarah McBride said she lived to “rent-free in the minds of some of my Republican colleagues” amid a controversy about GOP lawmakers referring to her by the wrong gender.

Speaking Thursday at a news conference with House Minority Whip Katherine Clark and first-term Democratic women lawmakers, McBride said Republicans were “obsessed with culture war issues” and said it was “weird" and "bizarre.”

“We will not take a lecture on decorum from a party that incited an insurrection,” the first openly transgender member of Congress said, making reference to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) referred to her as “Mr. McBride” during a congressional hearing earlier this week, sparking a confrontation between Self and Rep. Bill Keating (D-Mass.) over the issue. Other GOP lawmakers have targeted McBride’s identity, with Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) addressing her as “the gentleman from Delaware” while presiding on the House floor at one point.

House Republicans have sought to turn transgender rights into a wedge issue against Democrats this Congress. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) led an effort to ban transgender women from using women’s bathrooms on Capitol Hill. She responded to McBride's comments Thursday with an X post addressing her as "Sir."

McBride has generally shied away from weighing in on the attacks on her identity. Thursday’s remarks were her first public comments on the incident beyond a Tuesday post on X where she wrote: “No matter how I'm treated by some colleagues, nothing diminishes my awe and gratitude at getting to represent Delaware in Congress.”