Michael Knowles Applauds Ban on Trans Soldiers … Being Trans Is ‘Mental Illness’
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Popular conservative commentator Michael Knowles says the Supreme Court upholding President Donald Trump‘s ban on transgender people serving in the military is a smart move … ’cause he thinks it’s a serious disease that affects their combat readiness.
We spoke with Knowles — a longtime podcast host at Ben Shapiro‘s Daily Wire — came by “TMZ Live” Wednesday to discuss the court’s ruling this week … explaining he’s all for it because mental health issues in the trans community prevent them from being effective soldiers.
Knowles references studies showing higher rates of chronic disease among members of the trans community … and adds Americans voted for Trump fully knowing this was something he was going to do, thereby cosigning it.
When asked about why there’s such a focus on a community that’s so small, Knowles basically says trans people are a threat to society anywhere — pointing to women who voted for Trump because they don’t want transgender individuals included among them.
According to the Department of Defense, less than 1% of active military members are trans … but, even this small number of soldiers can’t fight, Michael says, because they’re simply not built for it.
Our own Harvey Levin pushes back … asking what it has to do with their ability to fire a weapon — and, Michael says they’re much less physically fit, even former Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner.
As for whether this ruling means all gay people might be banned from the military in the future … Michael says there’s no way — ’cause many gay individuals have already served in the military for decades.
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However, he’s also standing by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” here … arguing it’s effective, while Harvey fires back.
Knowles repeatedly calls being transgender a “serious mental illness” … it’s worth noting that gender dysphoria — which, according to the American Psychiatric Association, is “psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity” — is included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
However, gender non-conformity is not listed in the manual … and, the authors went out of their way to state, “gender non-conformity is not in itself a mental disorder.” All of this is in an attempt to diagnose a real issue instead of pathologizing identity.
Michael, Harvey and Charles also get into an interesting conversation about what perception really means … watch the clip all the way through to hear it.
There’s a ton of debate around trans issues everywhere — from bathrooms, to youth sports, and now the military … and, we’re sure it will continue for years to come.
Watch “TMZ Live” today … check your local listings.
Cassie Diddy Flipped Over My Kid Cudi Relationship
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Cassie Ventura says Diddy freaked out on her after finding out she was hooking up with Kid Cudi … threatening her with a wine opener and telling her he would release a video on Christmas showing her participating in a “freak-off.”
The singer testified in court Wednesday that Diddy found out she was seeing Kid Cudi in 2011 when he went through her phone during a freak-off.
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Cassie told the jury Diddy found an email about Cassie taking her toiletry bag to Kid Cudi’s place … and he put a wine opener in his hand and threatened her.
She testified she called Kid Cudi on a burner phone and went to his house … where she talked with one of Diddy’s assistants, Capricorn Clark.
Cassie told the jury she later went to the home Diddy was staying at, and Diddy told her he would release freak-off videos of her as a way to hurt her and Kid Cudi.
She testified Diddy kicked her in the back, causing a bruise … so she want back to her hotel, but the room was torn up and someone had urinated all over the floor and left an unflushed poop in the toilet.
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Cassie said all this happened before Christmas 2011 — and she sent an email to her mother and Capricorn Clark on a flight, telling them Diddy was going to release two sexually explicit videos, including one on Christmas day.
Photographs were shown to the jury and Cassie testified they showed bruises on her back … and that her mother took the pics when she had gone home to Connecticut.
Cassie testified she told her mother it was the first time Diddy abused her, but in reality, the abuse had been ongoing.
She previously told the jury about the first time Diddy hit her … she said it happened in 2007 in a car. Cassie testified she shrugged her shoulders at Diddy after she noticed him flirting with someone else inside a restaurant and he beat her once they got in their car.
Cassie said Diddy knocked her around inside the car … and that Diddy’s chauffeur and security guard were present. She told jurors Diddy hit her on the side of the head, knocking her to the car floor.
She also testified about other instances of violence … saying she hit Diddy for calling her a name, possibly “slut or bitch.” Diddy’s defense has said the relationship had domestic violence on both sides.
Cassie told the jury that after she hit Diddy, his eyes went black and he repeatedly stomped her face with his foot … leaving her with a swollen face and causing her to vomit. She said he snuck her out of the house and put her up in a hotel for a week and kept everyone from seeing her except her stylist. She testified she didn’t want to stay at the hotel but Diddy told her she could not leave and that she needed to cover her face.
Wrestling Star Kyle Snyder Breaks Silence On Prostitution Sting Arrest
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Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder is adamant he will learn and grow from his recent run-in with cops … insisting Wednesday his May 9 arrest is not the end of his story.
The 29-year-old wrestling superstar — who was thrown in handcuffs at a Columbus, Ohio Quality Inn and Suites last week for engaging in prostitution — said in a statement on his X page he’s now leaning on his faith to get him through the difficult time he’s currently in.
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“I want to thank everyone who has reached out with kindness and support,” Snyder wrote. “My focus is on my relationship with the Lord Jesus and my family.”
Snyder did not elaborate any further … though he did add, “This is not the conclusion of my journey.”
The comments come just a day after TMZ Sports posted body cam footage from his encounter with the Columbus Police Department. In the video, you can see law enforcement officers barged into Snyder’s room after he allegedly gave cash to an undercover cop for oral sex.
Snyder was apologetic and cooperative during his entire time in custody. He was ultimately released with a summons to appear in court on May 19.
Snyder — a three-time NCAA Division I Champion — had signed with Hulk Hogan‘s Real American Freestyle unscripted wrestling league just a day prior to his arrest.
Cassie Diddy Raped Me After We Split … I Tried to Hurt Myself!!!
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More fireworks from the Cassie Ventura testimony in the Diddycase … she told the jury Diddy raped her on the floor of her own home after they broke up — and she later tried to hurt herself because she couldn’t take all the pain.
The singer testified Wednesday that in August 2018 they had a closure conversation to shut the book on their relationship … meeting at a restaurant in Malibu, where Diddy was being nice, playful and romantic. She said he drove her home and forced sex on her.
Cassie told the jury Diddy’s eyes went black as he raped her on her living room floor.
She testified she was crying but Diddy continued raping her, finished inside of her, got up and left. She told the jury she wasn’t sure if Diddy even noticed her crying.
Cassie told jurors the rape happened while she was seeing Alex Fine … who is now her husband.
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She testified she had sex with Diddy one more time after he raped her, but this time it was voluntary. Asked by the prosecution why she agreed to have voluntary sex after he had previously raped her, Cassie cited the fact they’d been together for 10 years.
Cassie got emotional, breaking down in tears during testimony about going to rehab and trauma therapy in February 2023 … saying she was having flashbacks and becoming suicidal.
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She told jurors she didn’t want to be alive anymore at that point and she could no longer take the pain … so she tried to walk out into traffic — but her husband, Alex, wouldn’t let her.
Cassie previously mentioned the alleged rape in her November 2023 lawsuit against Diddy … and she testified she agreed to settle with Diddy and his companies for $20 million just 24 hours after filing the suit.
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