Former ESPN reporter shreds network over Lia Thomas interview: 'Hypocritical'
Charly Arnolt felt 'stifled' at ESPN and called the trans athlete coverage 'a slap in the face'
Charly Arnolt slams ESPN for Lia Thomas tribute: ‘I will never stop standing up for women’
OutKick host Charly Arnolt joined ‘Varney & Co.’ to discuss her former company, ESPN, putting out a tribute to transgender collegiate athlete Lia Thomas.
ESPN's controversial coverage of Lia Thomas has not only turned away viewers, but its top talent, too.
Charly Arnolt, a host for a new OutKick show currently in development, scorched ESPN for their "hypocritical" tribute, deeming the move as a "slap in the face" to women everywhere.
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"The whole issue is that ESPN always makes such a big deal about keeping politics out of programming. And then yet during Women's Month, they found it appropriate to air a one-minute-long tribute about biological male swimmer Lia Thomas, which I just found to be very hypocritical," Arnolt argued during an appearance on "Varney & Co."
"And as a woman, quite frankly, a huge slap in the face that during Women's Month, when there are so many incredible female athletes to be celebrated, they turn to the most controversial figure in sports right now, Lia Thomas — a man — to be celebrated."
Former ESPN reporter turned OutKick host Charly Arnolt, right, joined "Varney & Co." to weigh in on her former company's controversial tribute to transgender collegiate athlete Lia Thomas. (Fox News/Getty Images / Fox News)
Arnolt said that she felt "stifled" as an ESPN reporter and was uncomfortable speaking out on topics that did not "fit within the narrative."
"There's a lot of issues that I felt like I needed and wanted to speak up on in my opinion. I wasn't in a place where it was allowed, where I was comfortable even speaking out even if it were to be allowed because it didn't fit within the narrative of that of ESPN," she explained to host Stuart Varney.
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Thomas’ participation in NCAA women’s swimming during the 2021-22 season sparked a growing debate over the fairness of transgender women competing against biological females. She became the first transgender woman to win an Ivy League Championship and later an NCAA Championship in the 500 freestyle.
The former ESPN reporter clarified her position on trans people in sports, arguing that men who are transitioning to women should "absolutely not" be competing against women.
Swimmer Riley Gaines torches ESPN for 'blatant discrimination' featuring Lia Thomas for Women's Month
NCAA All-American swimmer Riley Gaines says people are opening their eyes to the 'harmful' impact of transgender individuals in women's sports.
"There was actually a comment made yesterday by Lia Thomas saying that it is transphobic of women who speak out against this when really women have no obligation to support Lia Thomas or other trans athletes because, like I said before, it is a slap in the face as a woman," Arnolt said.
"Quite frankly, I think we need to stop giving such power to these slurs coming from the left, like the word 'transphobic,' because really, if standing up for women means that I'm transphobic, then you can call me transphobic all day long," she continued.
Arnolt vowed to "never stop standing up for women and the success that we have fought so long and hard for."
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.