Comedy Central’s weekly temp host of The Daily Show, Michael Kosta, reacted to the outrage that Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is  allowed to compete in the women’s Olympic boxing tournament on Monday by spreading fake news about pro-life laws in America in an attempt to argue conservatives are being hypocritical. He also conveniently never said the words “failed gender test.”

For the International Olympic Committee, Khelif is a woman because her passport identifies her as such, and that is good enough for Kosta, “Because, again, this female boxer is female. Can we stop this before America turns it into a presidential campaign issue?”

 

 

Just like CNN, The Daily Show wants to claim conservatives are overreacting and trying to make a controversy where none exists by projecting domestic arguments over transgenderism onto Khelif. However, none of the criticism directed towards conservatives addresses the possibility that Khelif has Differences of Sexual Development which can lead a woman to have male levels of testosterone and would explain the failed gender test.

Instead, Kosta tried to argue conservative concerns are hypocritical, “By the way, if conservatives are so concerned with women's safety, maybe consider caring about it outside of sports? There are women in America who are like, ‘Help me, I'm having an ectopic pregnancy,’ and conservatives are like, ‘Shut up! We're trying to protect women over here.’"

Of course, there is nothing in any pro-life law that prohibits treatment for ectopic pregnancies, but Kosta rolled right along and claimed conservatives simply cannot believe that Khelif could be so talented, “Look, I'm sorry this elite athlete does not look like the way you think a woman should look, but a woman is allowed to be dominating and powerful at a sport without you questioning her gender. Because, don't forget, these guys—don't forget, these guys dragged her, an Algerian female boxer, into their American conservative culture war. And if they are going to use her as a metaphorical punching bag, the least they can do is step into the ring and let her use them as a literal punching bag.”

Khelif’s case raises serious questions about fairness in women’s sports that deserve to be discussed, but such discussions will never happen if people like Kosta insist there’s nothing to see here by omitting key information from their stories and deflect by repeating easily debunked talking points about ectopic pregnancies.

Here is a transcript for the August 5 show:

Comedy Central The Daily Show

8/6/2024

11:05 PM ET

MICHAEL KOSTA: Because, again, this female boxer is female. Can we stop this before America turns it into a presidential campaign issue?

JD VANCE: The far left wants to allow biological males to beat the living crap out of women in boxing.

KOSTA: Is that really what this race is going to be about? J.D. Vance is going to be out on the campaign trail like, "You know, when I was growing up in the holler, the one thing we cared about was international women's boxing regulations." 

By the way, if conservatives are so concerned with women's safety, maybe consider caring about it outside of sports? There are women in America who are like, "Help me, I'm having an ectopic pregnancy," and conservatives are like, "Shut up! We're trying to protect women over here." 

Look, I'm sorry this elite athlete does not look like the way you think a woman should look, but a woman is allowed to be dominating and powerful at a sport without you questioning her gender. Because, don't forget, these guys -- don't forget, these guys dragged her, an Algerian female boxer, into their American conservative culture war. And if they are going to use her as a metaphorical punching bag, the least they can do is step into the ring and let her use them as a literal punching bag.