Fox News 2024-08-05 00:07:58


Fetterman warns Kamala Harris against picking fellow Keystoner as running mate

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is reportedly warning against Vice President Kamala Harris picking Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate.

His aides informed Harris’ campaign about his concerns — including that Shapiro is too focused on “his own personal ambitions,” according to Politico, which cited three people familiar with the matter.

Fetterman and Shapiro came into conflict during their service together on Pennsylvania’s Board of Pardons regarding second chances and the commutation process for convicts, the report stated.

Shapiro is one of the leading candidates for Harris’ running mate after President Biden announced in July that he would withdraw from the race. 

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Shapiro’s staff, however, said the governor’s history on criminal justice reform is clear. 

“The governor evaluates every pardons case individually and on its merits and during his time as attorney general, he approved more pardons and commutations than all of his predecessors over the last 25 years, combined,” Shapiro spokesperson Will Simons told Politico. “He is proud of his record of delivering meaningful criminal justice reform while making Pennsylvania communities safer.”

Fetterman still has “full-on, enthusiastic support for Kamala Harris,” one of the sources said his team expressed. That source described Fetterman’s advisers as giving his “unvarnished assessment” of Shapiro “that is not about policy differences or other public baggage.”

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Shapiro has also been pressured to defend his stance on Israel in recent days as the competition to become Harris’ running mate heats up. 

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The Philadelphia Inquirer uncovered the essay that Shapiro wrote for the Campus Times, the student newspaper of the University of Rochester, from which Shapiro graduated in 1995. 

In the 1993 article, Shapiro wrote that “Palestinians will not coexist peacefully,” because “they do not have the capabilities to establish their own homeland and make it successful even with the aid of Israel and the United States.”

Shapiro, Fetterman and the Harris campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Republicans aim to create political magic, just like the enchantment at Disney World

The Young Republicans National Federation’s footprint grew this week with the opening of a state chapter’s headquarters in Orlando, Florida.

The choice of office location was strategic as Republicans hope to flip the predominantly blue area red leading into the 2024 presidential election.

“Putting that investment into Orlando and doing twice the work in less time is going to help significantly,” Brandon Ludwig, a defense contractor and chairman of the Florida Young Republicans, told Fox News Digital over the phone.

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Ludwig, a fifth-generation Floridian, was elected chairman in June 2023.

There are more registered Democrats among active voters in Orange County, which includes the populous city of Orlando, than Republicans, according to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections website.

Orange County projects a population of 1,491,071 for 2024, according to the World Population Review.

As of July 12, 2024, there were 805,510 registered voters in Orange County, 214,177 of whom are registered Republicans, with 322,541 registered Democrats, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

“We are in a blue county, so if you look at the voter registration, about 39% are Democrat and 27% are Republican,” Erin Huntley, Orange County GOP chair, told Fox News Digital over the phone.

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Huntley added that a voter registration analysis of Orange County from the last year provided data showing 10,000 voters registered as Republicans and only 2,000 registered Democrats.

“Things are shifting and when you see shifts in voter registration, it means there’s energy, appetite and momentum in our direction,” Huntley said.

Ludwig said the young generation of hospitality industry professionals in and around Orlando working for Disney and Universal are a central focus of the Young Republicans’ recruiting efforts.

“It’s going to allow us to reach out to those individuals and really start making inroads in Orlando’s many different diversities,” he said.

Florida is only the second state to open a Young Republican headquarters, after Waukesha, Wisconsin. The Young Republican National Federation headquarters is located in Washington, D.C.

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Ludwig and Huntley, among others, worked tirelessly to open a central space dedicated to campaigning, dividing and conquering as a mutual effort with the county’s GOP, in order to capitalize on the momentum of new Republican constituents.

“Orlando is the blue dot across a state that is turning red,” Ludwig said.

The Young Republicans’ mission is to recruit, train and elect the next generation of Republicans across the country. The Florida Young Republicans are focused on recruiting new members by door knocking and holding social and networking events, among other tactics.

“It’s a fantastic networking operation. We have a variety of individuals from different backgrounds. I personally don’t work in politics,” Ludwig said. “We have members of Congress who are Florida Young Republican members. We have former television stars who are members of our organization as well.”

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In 2022, Ludwig said eight chapters and 300 members made up the organization across the Sunshine State. Today, he effused pride that the Young Republicans boast 20 chapters and over 1,000 members.

“Tampa is growing,” Ludwig said. “In the Tampa area, we have seen a lot of people who have moved from California and some of those northern states who have joined. It’s really, really interesting because many of these people had not previously been in politics, but they left their states because of politics.”

Ludwig added that while Young Republicans stress a number of political issues where change is coveted, the rising cost of living and inflation are at the forefront of members’ minds.

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“Young people, who are my age, are stuck renting, and they don’t know if they’re going to be able to buy a house,” Ludwig said. “There are other issues, too, but that’s the one that we consistently hear the most.”

While the new Florida headquarters will be dedicated to driving awareness around the area and across the state, Ludwig said Orlando, as an international port of call, holds promise to broadcast organizational awareness outside the state, too.

“For us, our impact is largely going to be here in Florida,” Ludwig said.

“[Orlando] is a major conference destination, and it’s going to allow us to do a better job of reaching out to people,” he added. “I think that’s where you’ll see a state and national impact.”

Gun-toting woman arrested for alleged threats against former president

Police in Washington, D.C., arrested a Texas woman for allegedly making threats against former President Trump and illegally carrying a firearm on Friday.

The woman, Christina Montoya, was arrested after traveling to the nation’s capital. Police were first notified about her by the Secret Service, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

“Through the detectives’ investigation, 41-year-old Christina Montoya of San Antonio, Texas, was arrested and charged with carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, and threats against a former president,” police said in a statement.

Authorities said Montoya’s threats against Trump began on July 20.

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Police located the woman’s vehicle and recovered a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield pistol, a magazine and a gun lock, according to the police report.

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The incident comes just weeks after Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump narrowly survived the attack, receiving a bullet wound to his ear.

The assassination attempt is currently the subject of multiple investigations by the FBI, the Secret Service and Congress. Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned following a devastating hearing in which both Republicans and Democrats called for her removal.

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Scrutiny centers on the building Crooks used as a perch to fire on the former president and why it was not within the Secret Service security perimeter.

Ex-NFL running back mourned after shocking death in Colorado car crash

Ben Gay, a former NFL running back who played one season with the Cleveland Browns, died late last month in a car crash in Colorado. He was 44.

Gay died on July 29 in the crash, according to Nirfino. The Associated Press, Akron Beacon-Journal and Houston Chronicle all reported Gay’s death.

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“Rest easy the original Spring legend… Ben Gay!! I haven’t seen him since high school but we attended middle/high school together,” one Facebook user wrote on the former football player. “High school memory! Ben was a beast in the 90’s. He’s at the end…. he left them boys!”

Gay was a standout running back at Garden City Community College in Kansas after he was removed from the Baylor program over team violations.

He played in a preseason game for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League before the Browns took a chance on him.

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He appeared in all 16 games for Cleveland during the 2001 season when the Browns went 7-9 and finished third in the AFC North division. He rushed for 172 yards on 51 carries and scored one touchdown.

Cleveland waived Gay the following offseason. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts but failed to make their 53-man roster, according to the Beacon-Journal.

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Gay is survived by his wife and three children, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Morgan Wallen concert spirals into panic after disturbing threat against Chiefs stars

A man in attendance at Morgan Wallen’s Friday night concert in Missouri has been arrested after allegedly making a “terrorist threat” against two Kansas City Chiefs players, Fox News Digital can confirm.

Wallen, who is currently on his One Night At A Time World Tour, was playing a show at the reigning Super Bowl champions’ field, Arrowhead Stadium. In video shared on social media, the country singer can be seen walking out alongside the Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones. 

According to court documents, an intelligence analyst screening for potential threats at the concert was concerned by a post made to X (formerly Twitter). 

MORGAN WALLEN HAS UNDERWEAR THROWN AT HIS FACE DURING CONCERT

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Aaron Brown, 23, of Winchester, Illinois, was arrested and charged with a Class E felony of Making a Terrorist Threat in the 2nd Degree.

The alleged post, in redacted form, was released in the documents.

“Mr. [redacted] at Arrowhead with the wife. If he brings out [redacted] or [redacted] I’ll take the f—in shot. F— em! Also f— you b—-!!” the tweet read.

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Mahomes was accompanied by his pregnant wife, Brittany, at the concert.

The user’s contact information was extracted by law enforcement, who were able to reach the suspect directly. After initially not cooperating, Brown told officers what part of the stadium he was seated in.

After being read his Miranda Rights, Brown allegedly told officers that the situation “was a stupid, stupid, stupid mistake” and that he was “freaked out” by law enforcement’s interest in him. 

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Brown does not have a previous legal record. He was charged on Saturday with a $15,000/10 percent bond set.

Representatives for Wallen, Kelce and Mahomes did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Scheffler wins thriller comeback in fight for the gold at the Paris Olympics

Scottie Scheffler held on for Olympic gold on Sunday at Le Golf National and added to Team USA’s tally over the entirety of the Summer Games in Paris.

He shot a 62 in the final round with no bogeys to achieve the incredible feat. It was the first time he’s won an Olympic medal in his golfing career and it was the first time he’s represented Team USA.

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He won the Masters for the second time in his career earlier this year. Overall, with the gold at the Olympics, he’s won seven tournaments this year.

He’s the first player to enter the Olympics ranked No. 1 in the world and win gold.

Scheffler entered the clubhouse 19-under par and needed to wait for Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood, Spain’s Jon Rahm and his Team USA teammate Xander Schauffele to finish up their final rounds. He was hitting balls on the range to stay warm.

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Fleetwood started the 18th hole down one stroke, 18-under, and in need of at least a birdie to send the tournament into a playoff for the gold medal. 

Rahm was in contention for at least a bronze medal while Schauffele – the Tokyo Olympics’ gold medalist – was on the outside of the podium.

The British golf star hooked his second shot just over the green, setting him up for at least a par or a miraculous birdie. His approach to try to nail the birdie but narrowly missed.

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Fleetwood wrapped up a silver with a par on 18 and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama won the bronze medal.

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Pinned

Suni Lee gets bronze medal on uneven bars

American Olympian Suni Lee needed at least a 14.767 to get on the podium for the uneven bars final at the Paris Olympics on Sunday. The pressure was on.

Lee swung herself back and forth on the bars in a solid performance on the apparatus. She nearly stuck the landing, hugged her Olympic colleagues and then awaited her scores.She got a 14.800 and wrapped up a bronze medal.

It was her sixth Olympic medal and tied with Aly Raisman for third most for an American female gymnast.

Algerian Kaylia Nemour stunned the crowd with an incredible performance. She scored a 15.700 on the uneven bars to top the score set by China’s Qiu Qiyuan.

Qiu put together an epic performance as well, scoring a 15.500.Nemour got the gold and Qiu got the silver.

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Scottie Scheffler adds Olympic gold medal to impressive resume

Scottie Scheffler held on for Olympic gold on Sunday at Le Golf National and added to Team USA’s tally over the entirety of the Summer Games in Paris.

He shot a 62 in the final round with no bogeys to achieve the incredible feat. It was the first time he’s won an Olympic medal in his golfing career and it was the first time he’s represented Team USA.

He won the Masters for the second time in his career earlier this year. Overall, with the gold at the Olympics, he’s won seven tournaments this year.

He’s the first player to enter the Olympics ranked No. 1 in the world and win gold.

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Novak Djokovic finally gets his Olympic gold medal

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic further solidified his greatness on Sunday with a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) win over Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the gold-medal match at the Paris Olympics.

It’s the first gold medal Djokovic’s career and he completed his quest to capture the one award that’s eluded him in his entire career.

Djokovic was jubilant as he scored the final tie-break point.Each point needed to be perfect. Djokovic and Alcaraz were both on the top of their games during the match. Each volley had to be just out of the reach of the other player for a winner.

Djokovic and Alcaraz slid across the court several times, played through the incredible Parisian heat to come through.

The Serbian star was in tears as he held up his country’s flag to those at Roland Garros.

Djokovic hadn’t won a tournament all year long. He exited the French Open due to an injury. He played through to reach the Wimbledon final last month but lost to Alcaraz for the second straight season.

Now, Djokovic can all himself an Olympic champion.

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Austin Jewell Smith earns bronze in women’s skeet shooting

Austen Jewell Smith added to Team USA’s medal count on Sunday with a bronze-medal finish in women’s skeet shooting.

Smith scored a 45 in the final, finishing behind Chile’s Francisca Crovetto Chadid and Great Britain’s Amber Jo Rutter.

Smith had been gearing up for the Paris Olympics with solid showings in world championship events since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Smith won three gold medals in skeet shooting competitions since then – team skeet in 2022 and 2023 and mixed team in 2023.

The 23-year-old finally has an individual award to add to her resume.

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USA’s Brady Ellison scores silver in men’s archery

Brady Ellison captured a silver medal in men’s archery on Sunday at the Paris Olympics.

Ellison lost the gold-medal match to South Korea’s Kim Woo-jin, 6-5, on a tiebreaker. It’s the second medal for Ellison at the Paris Olympics. He won bronze in the mixed team final with Casey Kaufhold.

Ellison has five medals in his Olympic career. He won silver in the team event at the 2012 Olympics in London and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He also scored a bronze in men’s final at the 2016 Games as well.

Kim has three gold medals at the Olympics in Paris. He won in team and mixed team earlier in the Games. He also won gold in the team event in 2016 in Rio and 2021 in Tokyo.

South Korea took home the bronze medal as well. Lee Wooseok topped Germany’s Florian Unruh, 6-0.

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Carl Lewis: Track ‘needs someone’ like Noah Lyles as its champion

Olympic legend Carl Lewis talked to Fox News Digital on Saturday and talked about Noah Lyles and the need for him to dominate at the Paris Olympics.

“I think the sport needs someone like him that’s a champion. He’s the defending champion, the fastest man in the world right now, and we need someone to grab onto. I think he’s the perfect guy to do that, and I’m excited about that,” Lewis said in a recent interview.

“I think track does better when we do have a superstar. That’s why I think if Noah were to win, he would elevate the sport as well. As opposed to saying ‘I wonder who’s going to win,’ people want to say ‘I want him’ or ‘I don’t want him.’ They want to root for someone, or root against someone. I think it creates more intensity when you have someone that dominates, and that’s been throughout history. … People have really gravitated to the sport when people really dominated more.”

Lyles will likely be competing in the 100-meter men’s final later today.

Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

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South Sudan claims biased officiating in Olympics loss to Serbia

South Sudan suffered a loss in Olympic men’s basketball at the hands of Serbia, 96-85, on Saturday and head coach Royal Ivey was upset with the officiating.

Ivey said the foul discrepancy during the game was evidence of bias in the game.“They shot 31 free throws; we shot six free throws?” Ivey said. “Let’s tell the story. Let’s tell the real story, because that’s a travesty. How do they shoot 31 free throws and we shoot six free throws? How?”

South Sudan failed to make the knockout round because of the loss.

“My guys were out there giving their all — blood, sweat and tears — and you tell me how we shot six free throws? We shot one free throw in the second half,” Ivey added.

Luol Deng, federation president and former NBA star, questioned why there were no African referees at the Olympics.

“I don’t know why there’s no African referees in the Olympics. It’s 2024,” he said. “If we’re representing the continent, then we’ve got to be represented fully. That’s something that we’ve got to keep working on. But if these referees aren’t familiar with our game, with our style, then I don’t know what the world championship or the Olympics is. Is it just a European basketball style and we’re not allowed to be aggressive?”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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NBA star Anthony Edwards relishes Team USA opportunity

Anthony Edwards emerged as a legitimate NBA star for the Minnesota Timberwolves over the course of the 2023-24 season and helped the team get to the conference finals.

This summer, his popularity has certainly risen as he’s made a name for himself on the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team in a pursuit of a gold medal. Not only that, but Edwards has had the luxury of playing with his basketball idol, Kevin Durant.

Edwards turned heads on Saturday with an incredible dunk during the team’s 104-83 win over Puerto Rico. Edwards led the way with 26 points in 17 minutes off the bench.

“I had already told K after the timeout. ‘Like, bruh, if I get a break, like, I’m going to windmill it,’” Edwards said. “I wanted to go between your legs, but I ain’t tried it in a minute. So I didn’t want to embarrass myself.”

He called playing in the Olympics with Durant and LeBron James on the same floor is ‘everything I ever dreamed of.”

“Him and Bron, they’re the best two people,” Edwards said. “Team players, they always want to see the person next to them shine. I’m the same way. So it’s perfect.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Taiwan’s Lin guaranteed medal amid gender controversy

Taiwanese Olympic boxer Lin Yu-ting will move onto the semifinals of the 57-kilogram division in women’s boxing and guaranteed at least a bronze medal at the Paris Games.

Lin has been one of the two boxers caught up in a gender controversy. Lin defeated Bulgaria’s Svetlana Kamenova Staneva via unanimous decision in the quarterfinals. Lin was knocked down twice but threw a couple of jabs to Staneva’s face during the bout.

Lin was apparently booed after the contest, according to The Sun.

Lin and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif have as faced scrutiny over a disqualification from the 2023 International Boxing Association (IBA) Women’s World Championship. Both will now be at least bronze medal winners as there is no other match for losing semifinalists.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach defended having Lin and Khelif fight in the women’s division on Saturday.

“What is going on in this context in the social media with all this hate speech, with this aggression and abuse, and fueled by this agenda, is totally unacceptable,” Bach said.

Lin has maintained focus on the possibility of winning goal and has not mentioned the scrutiny.

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Team USA leads medal count as Sunday’s action begins

The United States entered Sunday with 61 medals to their count. The team has put together a performance at the Paris Olympics that included 14 gold, 24 silver and 23 bronze medals.

Vincent Hancock, Simone Biles, Ryan Crouser, Katie Ledecky and the team of Ryan Murphy, Nic Fink, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske all took home gold medals on Saturday.

Hancock won the men’s skeet shooting final and Crouser defended his shot put gold. Biles took home another gold medal – this time in the women’s vault final. Ledecky won gold in the 800-meter freestyle. And the team of Murphy, Fink, Walsh and Huske won the 4×100 mixed medley final.

Team USA leads the medal count with France (41) and China (37 behind them.

When it comes to gold medals, though, the United States is still two off the pace against China. The Chinese have scored 16 gold medals. France is behind the U.S. with 12.

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Suni Lee goes for gold on uneven bars

American gymnast Suni Lee will be back in action later today when she goes for gold in the women’s uneven bar final.

Lee already secured a gold in the team final but has been fantastic in the uneven bars for Team USA throughout the Paris Olympics. Lee scored a 14.566 on the uneven bars during the team final. The score was below Italy’s Giorgia Villa and Alice D’Amato.

Lee picked up a bronze in the uneven bars in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She won gold in the all-around final and a silver in the team final.Simone Biles picked up another gold medal on Saturday in the women’s vault final after winning gold in the team and all-around finals. Lee finished behind Biles in the all-around and picked up a bronze medal.

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Sports Illustrated model shares actor father’s advice while clapping back at online bullies

Hunter McGrady wants to show the world that “sexy comes in all sizes.”

The 31-year-old, known as Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s “curviest model ever,” landed her first cover for the outlet’s 2024 issue. The mom of two joins Chrissy Teigen, Gayle King and Kate Upton as this year’s cover girls.

The magazine, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, launched seven covers. The issue is out on newsstands now.

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McGrady told Fox News Digital she’s hoping her cover will encourage readers to celebrate all body types.

“Much of it goes back to me being 15 years old and starting as a straight-sized model,” said McGrady. “I was a size two. I was striving for something that I couldn’t attain. Once I grasped the fact that this wasn’t going to be my journey, I let myself live and be happy. I grew into the person I am today. I’m proud of my body and what it has done for me.”

The Los Angeles native admitted the road to acceptance was a long one for her. It was in therapy where she learned to accept — and love — her body.

“I think what Sports Illustrated is doing – celebrating all bodies – is so powerful. They’re doing the work. … Especially right now when we’re entering this weird era, an Ozempic era, and just celebrating thinness.”

— Hunter McGrady

“The first thing I learned in therapy is what our bodies can do for us,” she explained. “Hating your body — and I have to be careful with saying this — but that’s the biggest money-maker. … The more you hate yourself, the more that you find things to nitpick, the more money people are making off you. … Everyone’s saying, ‘Look different. Be different. Wear this. Cover up this way. Drink this and you’ll be thinner.’

“I just call it the bulls— meter.”

The pinup insisted she never felt pressured by SI Swimsuit to lose any weight before a photo shoot. She couldn’t have been more grateful.

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“I still very much believe that sexy comes in all sizes,” said McGrady. “But I had to work on myself first. It’s a journey to get there. I’m not saying I don’t have bad days, because I do. We’re all human. I think what Sports Illustrated is doing — celebrating all bodies –—is so powerful. They’re doing the work. … Especially right now when we’re entering this weird era, an Ozempic era, and just celebrating thinness.”

“Look, do what you want to do with your body,” McGrady explained. “But I also think it’s so important to showcase diversity, different body types, different ethnicities, different kinds of women. We all exist, and we will always be just as important. Sports Illustrated has never backed down from that. … They stand strong. I think that’s so powerful. And I think that is what’s going to continue moving the needle.”

WATCH: SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT MODEL HUNTER MCGRADY SAYS SHE PRAYS FOR HER HATERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ‘WE NEED THIS’

The body positivity activist made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2017 after she was discovered through the outlet’s casting call. The star admitted that, over the years, online trolls didn’t hesitate to bully her on social media due to her shape.

“No matter what you do, you’re going to get hate,” McGrady shrugged. “But you’re also going to get love. … Negative comments or anybody who shames someone about their body? That’s so boring. Get something better to talk about. … There are so many people who find that the biggest, most exciting part of their day is shaming someone about their body or how they look. … That says less about me and more about them.”

McGrady said that her father, actor Michael McGrady, gave her advice about coping with “haters.”

“He’s always told me, ‘You’re going to get both sides. No one comes out of this industry unscathed,’” she recalled. “I knew that from a very young age. I was prepared for that. I’m still prepared for that. I’ve been able to armor myself. … I will say online bullying is something that is still very prevalent and still needs to be talked about because there are no real ramifications for it. You can just get behind a keyboard and say the first thing that comes to mind.

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“If I respond to a mean message, which I very seldom do, people will say, ‘I was just looking for a response. I love you and love what you do,’” McGrady continued. “[Bullies] just want to get a rise out of you just because you’re a public figure and there’s no real ramifications for it.

“I do think online bullying is very prevalent today, and it’s a conversation we should all be having,” McGrady added.

The star credited SI Swimsuit for being willing to show all types of bodies — no matter the size. McGrady shot her 2024 cover eight months postpartum.

“I’m coming in now as a mom of two little ones,” McGrady said. “I have a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old. And the way that I look at the world now is different. The way that I am, the very fabric of my being is just different. But I feel the best. I feel the most grounded. … The moment I walked on set, I felt that confidence. I felt really beautiful.”

“I’m not going to lie. (After giving birth), I didn’t feel very sexy at first,” she explained. “But as I got to know myself and this new body that motherhood gave me, I began to stop looking at the way my body looks so much aesthetically. … I see my body for what it has done for me and how it has gotten me here with my two beautiful children. There’s such a misconception that once you become a mom, that’s it. Call it a day, no more career, you can’t feel sexy.

“That’s all wrong,” McGrady continued. “It’s quite the opposite. The world becomes exciting again because you get to live it through that childlike wonder again. It’s a freeing feeling. I also stopped caring, quite literally, about what anyone thinks about me. I do whatever I want.”

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McGrady revealed that she hopes readers get one message from her photos. It’s the same one she tried to share when she first joined SI.

“It’s all about having self-love,” she said. “Everyone has their bad days. Confidence is not linear. It’s a climb. You think you’re at the top, and then you get knocked down, and you don’t feel so great. But it’s about doing the work. A lot of people in our society think, ‘All I have to do is lose weight, and I’ll feel better, and then I can get in that swimsuit.’ You can lose all the weight you want, you can gain all the weight you want. You can get anything done. But if you’re not doing the self-love work, nothing is going to matter.

“It has to start with the way we look at ourselves,” McGrady continued. “I’m a firm believer in that. Whether it’s through affirmations, therapy, support groups or whatever it might be for you. The key is to love yourself. The key is to say, ‘I can put on anything because I feel comfortable in myself. It doesn’t matter what people say. I feel good inside and out.’ That’s what shines through. Then you can put on a skimpy two-piece or one-piece and romp around in Cancun.”