Rep. Seth Moulton under fire for comments about transgender athletes. What's happened

A Massachusetts politician is facing backlash over comments he made in the wake of Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential election loss.

Rep. Seth Moulton, a Democrat who represents Massachusetts' 6th congressional district, blamed the party's loss on identity politics.

In an interview with The New York Times last week, Moulton said that "Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone," adding that he would not want his children playing sports alongside transgender athletes.

Moulton has faced backlash from other politicians and school officials over the comments. Here's what to know.

What did Seth Moulton say about transgender athletes?

In an interview with The New York Times, Moulton said he believes Democrats need to shift their focus to other issues.

“Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face,” Moulton said. “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.”

Moulton's comments stirred controversy. Kyle Davis, a city councilor in Moulton's hometown of Salem, called for his resignation in several social media posts. The Boston Globe reported that Matt Chilliak, Moulton's campaign manager, resigned last week, though he did not say why.

The Boston Globe also reported that Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo and the town's School Committee issued an email to the city’s residents, saying Moulton’s comments “do not reflect our values.”

“We want to reassure our LGBTQ+ students that we as district leaders will always celebrate your identities, support your dreams and aspirations, and applaud your accomplishments,” the email said, according to the Globe.

Moulton defended his comments on the talk show "Morning Joe" and on Facebook.

"This is everything that's wrong with this cancel culture, Moulton said on "Morning Joe" responding to news that Tufts University no longer wants to let students intern with his office. "When people like this in our party try to cancel me or whoever else, they are also talking down and canceling the views of a vast majority of Americans. So, how on earth are we going to win elections if that's out approach that we just want to preach down to people and tell them they are morally wrong if they don't meet some strict ideology purity test?"

Who is Seth Moulton?

Seth Moulton is a U.S. representative for Massachusetts' 6th district, which includes towns in Essex County and Middlesex County. He was elected in 2014.

He launched a brief campaign for the 2020 presidential election in 2019.

Before entering politics, Moulton was a Marine Corps officer until 2008. He earned three degrees from Harvard University.

He grew up in Marblehead and was born in Salem, where he currently resides with his family.