Tufts University accused of severing ties with House Democrat over trans athlete comments

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Rep. Moulton responds to criticisms of stance on trans issues: Democrats 'talking down' to Americans

Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton said Tuesday that the Democratic Party was "talking down" to Americans in response to backlash over his recent comments about transgender women in sports.

A top university is accused of severing ties with Democrat Rep. Seth Moulton’s office over the congressman's comments expressing concern about transgender female students participating in school sports with biological females.

Tufts University, located in Massachusetts, said it would no longer facilitate student internships in Moulton’s office after the Massachusetts Democrat’s interview in The New York Times last week, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.

Moulton himself appeared to confirm the situation on Tuesday morning, but Tufts University has denied limiting internship opportunities with his office.

The source told Fox News Digital, however, that Moulton’s office was contacted by Tufts University Political Science Department Chair David Art on the matter.

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Tufts University said it was severing internship ties with Rep. Seth Moulton, a source told Fox News Digital. (Getty Images)

Art said he had consulted with colleagues and that the college did not want Moulton’s office reaching out about possible internship opportunities, the source said.

Moulton was asked about the alleged issue with Tufts on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

"Imagine if one of these Tuft students actually wants to intern in a Republican office? I mean, what would these political science professors do then? This is just everything that is wrong with this cancel culture," Moulton responded.

Patrick Collins, the executive director of media relations for Tufts University, told Fox News Digital in response to the source's claims, "We have reached out to Congressman Moulton's office to clarify that we have not — and will not — limit internship opportunities with his office."

"We remain committed to fostering an inclusive environment that values diverse perspectives, and our Career Center will continue to provide students with a wide range of employment opportunities across the political and ideological spectrum," Collins said.

Moulton, a moderate Democrat and a military veteran, has been under fire by the progressive left after he told The Times, "Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face."

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President-elect Donald Trump led a Republican sweep of the 2024 elections. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

"I have two little girls, I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I’m supposed to be afraid to say that," he said.

Local progressives in Massachusetts criticized Moulton’s comments, as did Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who called the remarks "offensive" on CNN.

Moulton responded to the attacks in a statement, blaming Democrats for not tolerating dissenting views, arguing it cost them the election.

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Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal was among those criticizing Rep. Seth Moulton's comments. (Getty Images)

"I stand firmly in my belief for the need for competitive women's sports to put limits on the participation of those with the unfair physical advantages that come with being born male," Moulton told Fox News Digital last week.

"I am also a strong supporter of the civil rights of all Americans, including transgender rights. I will fight, as I always have, for the rights and safety of all citizens. These two ideas are not mutually exclusive, and we can even disagree on them.

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"Yet there are many who, shouting from the extreme left corners of social media, believe I have failed the unspoken Democratic Party purity test. We did not lose the 2024 election because of any trans person or issue. We lost, in part, because we shame and belittle too many opinions held by too many voters and that needs to stop."