As Delaware’s Sarah McBride prepares to make history as the first transgender member of Congress, she is already facing hostility from Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who introduced a resolution banning McBride to use the women’s restroom at the Capitol. The proposal sparked outrage among Democrats, and while my initial reaction reflected that fury, it’s worth noting how McBride handled the situation.

I admit that I was so furious after seeing Mace present the bill as a resolution against sexual assault – citing her own status as a “rape survivor” – that, in a moment of weakness and frustration, I actually googled: “How to do it?” do you deal effectively with a bully? » The general advice: stay calm and confident, avoid escalation, deny them the satisfaction of controlling your emotions, and lean on a support system.

McBride’s response is a true mastery lesson in how to stand up to bullies. Instead of fighting back (as I would, probably with some profanity), McBride remained calm, redirecting attention to the real challenges facing Americans. “We should be focused on reducing the cost of housing, health care, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars,” she tweeted, shifting the conversation away from the cruelty of Mace towards meaningful questions.

McBride also called for empathy, tweeting: “Every day, Americans go to work with and engage with people who have a different life journey than their own. I hope members of Congress can show the same kindness.

While all this was going on, McBride was busy orienting members of Congress, already building her support system.

“Delawareans sent me here to make the American dream more affordable and accessible, and that’s what I’m focused on,” she said.

This is how you fight bullying. And I know! I can hear people in the back screaming, but Michelle Obama’s “When they go low, we go high” political strategy has been a resounding failure. But that’s not what McBride does. She doesn’t rule out cruelty – she flips the script. She calls Mace’s stunt a distraction and a shift in focus from real issues while sidestepping the culture wars that Republicans continue to accuse Democrats of starting. His version of “getting high” isn’t about staying quiet or above the fray; it’s about keeping it calm, exposing the pettiness for what it is, and doing the work that really matters.