Donald Trump introduces Payton McNabb in Congress speech as he rails against trans athletes in women’s sports

Donald Trump introduced Payton McNabb during his Congress speech on Tuesday night as he vowed to continue his crusade to get trans athletes removed from women’s sports.

After telling his audience that ‘America is back’ and that ‘our country will be woke no longer’, Trump turned his attention to trans athletes.

McNabb’s story has taken root with conservatives. Now 19, McNabb was struck in the face with a volleyball that had been spiked by a trans opponent at a match two years earlier. As a result, McNabb says she suffered a concussion, brain damage, a neck injury, and paralysis on one side of her face.

Since then, the North Carolina native has campaigned to stop trans athletes from competing against girls and women.

Trump said: ‘I also signed an Executive Order to ban men from playing in women’s sports. Three years ago, Payton McNabb was an all star high school athlete, one of the best, preparing for a future in college sports.

‘But when her girls volleyball match was invaded by a male, he smashed the ball so hard in Payton’s face, causing traumatic brain injury. Partially paralyzing her right side and ending her athletic career.

‘It was a shot like she has never seen before, she has never seen anything like it. Payton is here tonight in the gallery and Payton from now on, schools will kick men of the girls team or they will lose all federal funding.’

McNabb responded by standing and applauding Trump’s words before waving in his direction. 

Trump added: ‘If you really want to see numbers, just take a look at what happened in the women’s boxing, weightlifting, track and field, swimming or cycling, where a male recently finished a long-distance race five hours and 14 minutes ahead of a woman, for a new record.

‘Broke the record by five hours. It is demeaning for women, it is very bad for our country and we are not going to put up with it any longer.’

It wasn’t immediately clear what race Trump was referring to, or if he misspoke when he said a trans athlete won a race by five hours.

But in 2023, trans cyclist Austin Killips won a race in North Carolina by five minutes. 

As for McNabb, she said before Trump’s speech that she was humbled to be invited to his speech.

‘It’s just such an incredible honor, and I’m so thankful, and I can’t believe I’m getting invited,’ she told Fox News about the offer. 

‘I know that President Trump really supports what we’ve been fighting for and what I’ve been advocating for for over two years now. And he’s really big on getting men out of women’s sports and out of their spaces.

‘So, I think this is just his way of letting us know that he sees us and he’s with us, and I’m just so thankful for that.’

McNabb was a junior at Hiwassee Dam High School in Murphy, North Carolina when she was struck in the face by a ball traveling at 70mph while in a match.

The ball had been hit by a transgender player on the opposing team and McNabb was knocked unconscious for 30 seconds on the floor with her arms locked upright in a ‘fencing’ position.

Doctors diagnosed her with a traumatic brain injury, concussion, paralysis on her right side, whiplash and vision problems.

McNabb said she didn’t expect Trump to talk about her own specific experience during his address but confessed that it would be ‘insane’ if he did. 

‘I know that he’s addressing a lot of important things,’ she said. ‘So, I’m not going to assume anything. But if he does, then I’m going to be so thankful and just really, really happy.’ 

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