Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who recently criticized his party’s stance on transgender athletes competing in female sports, says he expects to face a primary challenge for failing what he called “liberal litmus tests.”
During a Tuesday interview on “CNN News Central,” Moulton told co-host John Berman that Democrats have a set of “liberal litmus tests” and if someone doesn’t meet them, they are “not even allowed” to share their opinions within the party. Moulton also expressed concerns about the left’s tendency to shut down dissenting voices and not allow for open debate.
“The attitude that a lot of Americans feel the Democratic Party takes is if you don’t agree with us, then not only are you wrong, but you’re a bad person and these things are not up for debate,” Moulton said. “We’re not even allowed to have a debate and many Americans are turned off by that.”
Moulton’s criticism comes after the 2024 presidential election, in which former Vice President Kamala Harris was heavily scrutinized for her past actions and statements regarding transgender rights. The Trump campaign ran ads featuring Harris discussing how she pushed for transgender prisoners to receive sex changes, while former President Donald Trump vocally supported banning biological men from competing in women’s sports.
Despite voting against legislation that would have blocked biological men from competing in women’s sports, Moulton faced backlash for his comments and media appearances. He expressed concern in a Nov. 7 New York Times article about his daughters “getting run over” while competing against biological males.
“I probably will be primaried, and that just proves my point. You can’t speak a sentence that’s out of line and not get backlash from the left,” Moulton said. “But that’s okay. This is a democracy. I’m going to speak my mind and give voice to the concerns of my constituents.”
Moulton also addressed how the Democratic Party’s denial of real fears and concerns, such as inflation and the border crisis, has only further alienated voters and contributed to their defeat in the 2024 election.
“Trump is able to tap into Americans’ real fears and concerns. He’s able to give voice to them,” Moulton said. “When we deny those fears, for example, when we just say, ‘Oh, there’s no problem at the border,’ or ‘Don’t worry about inflation, it’s going to go away,’ then people are not going to trust us.”
Moulton’s outspokenness and refusal to conform to “liberal litmus tests” have resulted in him facing a potential primary challenge. However, he remains determined to give a voice to the concerns of his constituents and continue speaking his mind, despite the backlash from the left.