Why is it so difficult for some Republicans to just speak clearly on transgender issues? 

Nikki Haley fell into that easily avoidable trap on Monday when she was asked whether a man could become a woman. Instead, of simply saying "no," the former UN ambassador gave a long-winded response in which she avoided answering the question while deflecting to other issues. 

The setup from the questioner was a reference to Donald Trump also stumbling over the same inquiry. 

SEE: Conservatives Knock Trump Over Baffling Response When Asked if a Man Can Become a Woman

JOHN: A lot of the stuff that Trump does, you know, and says, really bothers me, and I’m concerned about it. You know, one thing I saw him do was, he said that, uh, he had trouble answering the question, could a man become a woman? And I’m just wondering what, what your response to that question is?

Haley began by talking about Trump as the former president, which held no relevance to the inquiry. 

Look, I mean, I have said, I want to start with Trump and then get to the question. You know, this is a hard truth on my part. I believe Trump was the right president at the right time. I agree with a lot of his policies. But rightly or wrongly, chaos follows him. And everybody on this call knows that. And we can’t be a country in disarray and a world on fire and go through four more years of chaos. We won’t survive it.

Right or wrong on that point, I'm not sure what any of that has to do with being asked whether a man can become a woman. Certainly, Haley has made part of her campaign a focus on the "chaos" she believes Trump brings to the political scene, but that holds no relation to transgender issues.

Haley then started talking about surgeries for minors. 

Now, can a man become a woman. There’s been a lot that’s been talked about when it comes to all of these roles and all of these issues. I strongly believe that we should not allow any gender change surgeries to anyone before the age of 18. Period. We– kids now can’t get a tattoo until they’re 18. We shouldn’t have them permanently change their body until they’re 18. And that includes puberty blockers, that includes any sort of hormones that would do that. 

After the age of 18, we want to make sure people can live any way they want to live. I don’t think government needs to be in control of anybody’s life. You go live the way you want to live, you should be free to live the way you want to live, and every– government and everybody else should stay out of your way. 

I agree with Haley that minors should not have access to surgeries under the guise of "gender-affirming care. I also agree with her that things like puberty blockers and hormone therapies should also not be allowed. But that isn't answering the question, is it? 

Can a man become a woman? That question doesn't involve government regulations. It's one of basic biology and ideology. A politician either believes a man can become a woman or that they can't. No qualifiers are needed. It's a simple "yes" or "no" question, and for some reason Haley wouldn't answer it. 

Megyn Kelly responded to Haley's explanation. She wasn't very happy about it. 

This is utter bullshit. The WRONG ANSWER & an unnecessary weird pander to the rabid trans lobby.
The answer is NO, A MAN CANNOT BECOME A WOMAN. https://t.co/NAL7BrRHqb

— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) January 15, 2024

When it comes to transgender ideology, voters need to understand that speaking the truth is not going to be easier three years from now than it is today. If a politician feels the need to dance around the issue of transgenderism in 2024, there should be a very real concern they'll completely fold as the pressure mounts down the road.

Today's vagueness is tomorrow's affirmation. For some Republican voters, perhaps they won't care. For me, though, I think the proliferation of truth, even when it's not easy, is a key judgment of character.