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," she continued. "They turn to the most controversial figure in sports right now, Lia Thomas – a man – to be celebrated."
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 free.
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.
"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," she 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.
