Former NC high school athlete Payton McNabb to be special guest at Trump speech
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Payton McNabb, a former North Carolina high school athlete who was severely injured by a transgender opponent during a volleyball match in 2022, will be a special guest of President Donald Trump at Tuesday’s joint address to Congress.
McNabb was severely injured when an opponent spiked a ball in her face. McNabb said she suffered a concussion, brain bleed and two black eyes during the incident. It also left her with a traumatic brain injury, which impacts her daily life as a student at Western Carolina University. The Independent Women’s Forum shared her story in the documentary, “Kill Shot: How Payton McNabb Turned Tragedy Into Triumph.”
McNabb, who attended Hiwassee Dam High School in Murphy, was at the White House when Trump signed the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order. She told Fox News it was an “incredible honor” to be Trump’s guest representing North Carolina.
“I know that President Trump really supports what we’ve been fighting for and what I’ve been advocating for for over two years now,” she said. “And he’s really big on getting men out of women’s sports and out of their spaces.”
Trump’s action was designed to prevent transgender women who were assigned male at birth from participating in women’s or girls’ sporting events. Both North Carolina and South Carolina have laws in place banning transgender students from playing sports in public schools and colleges.
Trump is scheduled to address Congress at 9 p.m. ET. The speech will be livestreamed on WCNC+.
The speech will take place in the U.S. House chamber. Larger than the Senate chamber, it can accommodate both House and Senate lawmakers as well as other officials who are typically invited to such events.
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Payton McNabb, HS volleyball player severely injured by trans opponent, to be at Trump’s speech to Congress
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Payton McNabb, a former high school girls volleyball player who was severely injured when a transgender opponent spiked a ball in her face, will be one of President Donald Trump’s guests at his joint address to Congress on Tuesday night.
McNabb suffered the injury when she was a junior at Hiwassee Dam High School in Murphy, North Carolina, and has helped lead the charge to keep women’s and girls’ sports fair. She was one of the athletes who attended Trump’s event when he signed the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order.
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Payton McNabb was severely injured after being struck in the head and neck by a spike from a transgender-identifying male on the opposing volleyball team. (Courtesy of Payton McNabb)
She told Fox News on Monday she was stunned to hear she received the offer.
“It’s just such an incredible honor, and I’m so thankful, and I can’t believe I’m getting invited. I know that President Trump really supports what we’ve been fighting for and what I’ve been advocating for for over two years now,” she said. “And he’s really big on getting men out of women’s sports and out of their spaces.
TUNE IN: LIVE COVERAGE OF TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS TUESDAY NIGHT ON FOX NEWS
“So, I think this is just his way of letting us know that he sees us and he’s with us, and I’m just so thankful for that.”
On the play in question, McNabb said she suffered a concussion, brain bleed and permanent whiplash. Later, she said she dealt with partial paralysis and vision problems.
McNabb said she did not expect Trump to talk about her story, but it would be “insane” if he did.
“I know that he’s addressing a lot of important things. So, I’m not going to assume anything. But if he does, then I’m going to be so thankful and just really, really happy.”
President Donald Trump signs an executive order barring transgender female athletes from competing in women’s or girls’ sporting events, in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Trump is expected to outline his domestic and foreign policy plans with the Department of Government Efficiency expected to play a big role in the speech.
Fox News’ Caroline McKee contributed to this report.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
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McNabb has been outspoken in her fight for fairness in women’s and girls’ sports
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North Carolina teenager named guest for President Trump’s speech to Congress
WASHINGTON (WBTV) – A teenager from North Carolina will be among the guests invited to attend President Donald Trump’s speech before Congress on Tuesday night, according to a CBS News report.
Payton McNabb is a former high school volleyball player from Murphy, N.C., who sustained a traumatic brain injury after a transgender athlete spiked the ball on her in a September 2022 match, according to a news release from the White House.
CBS News reported that McNabb was invited to a White House event on Feb. 27, just three weeks after Trump signed an executive order that banned transgender girls and women from competing in women’s sports.
McNabb called the invite to Tuesday’s speech “an incredible honor” on social media.
“Such an incredible honor to be a guest of [President Trump] and [First Lady Melania Trump] for the State of the Union,” she wrote. “I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to be present and to have my story recognized as part of the fight to protect women’s sports.”
Such an incredible honor to be a guest of @POTUS and @MELANIATRUMP for the State of the Union. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to be present and to have my story recognized as part of the fight to protect women’s sports.
Thank you for giving a voice to this issue!!!
According to her X account, she has also become an ambassador for the Independent Women’s Forum, which is a nonprofit that says it “works every day to engage and inform women about how policy issues impact them and their loved ones.”
Additional guests invited to Tuesday’s congressional address include the family of Corey Comperatore — a firefighter who died during the first Trump assassination attempt in Pennsylvania — along with the mother and sister of Laken Riley, a U.S. Border Patrol agent from Texas, and several others.
Tuesday’s speech is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on WBTV.
Related: Trump signs executive order intended to bar transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports
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