Fox News has hired Caitlyn Jenner as a new contributor, praising the star as the ‘most influential transgender woman’ in the world.
The conservative news channel said Jenner will ‘provide analysis’ across several Fox News platforms, and is due to make her debut today (Thursday, 31 March) on Hannity.
Jenner said in a statement: "I am humbled by this unique opportunity to speak directly to FOX News Media’s millions of viewers about a range of issues that are important to the American people."
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Suzanne Scott, CEO of Fox News, added: “Caitlyn’s story is an inspiration to us all. She is a trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community and her illustrious career spans a variety of fields that will be a tremendous asset for our audience.”
In a media release on its website, Fox News detailed how former athlete Jenner has ‘been in the public eye for decades’ after becoming a household name during the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal.
She came out as a trans woman in 2015, with reality TV show I Am Cait detailing her gender transition.
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Fox News said: “She has since emerged as arguably the most influential transgender woman in the world, although her ties to the GOP have often irked other members of the LGBTQ+ community. Jenner has previously said she faced more backlash admitting she was a Republican than she did when she publicly joined the transgender community.”
Jenner, a longtime Republican, recently ran as a candidate for the Governor of California, but was unsuccessful.
She previously told Fox News: "You know what? It was easier to come out as trans than it is to come out as a Republican.”
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Jenner continued: “Especially in California, when Diane Sawyer and I did my first interview as-- you know, in my old life, and she goes, 'oh my God, I hear you're a Republican, too'. And I got more backlash for that than [for] being trans, and I'm thinking, ‘oh my gosh, this is ridiculous.’"
She also said she identified as an ‘inclusive Republican’, adding: "I hate when they put you in this little box, OK? Everybody wants to - you know, in this box or this box. And if you're Republican, that means you must think this way. You must deal with issues this way. I'm not even close to that, OK?"
More recently, Jenner spoke out against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, saying she was not the 'rightful' winner of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship, and that the victory should have gone to runner-up Emma Weyant.
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Topics: Caitlyn Jenner, US News
Jess Hardiman