In a Senate hearing that was supposed to focus on the safety of abortion drugs, a simple question ignited a firestorm: “Can men get pregnant?” Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri posed this to Dr. Nisha Verma, an Indian-American OB-GYN and reproductive health expert, during a session on January 14, 2026.
Verma’s reluctance to provide a straightforward “yes or no” answer has since exploded online, racking up millions of views and sparking heated debates about biology, gender identity, and the politicization of medicine.
The clip, shared by Hawley on X (formerly Twitter), has been viewed over 30 million times, drawing reactions from politicians, medical professionals, and everyday users. Here’s what happened.
The Tense Senate Exchange
The confrontation unfolded during the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing titled “Protecting Women: Exposing the Dangers of Chemical Abortion Drugs.”
Hawley, known for his sharp questioning style, turned to Verma, a witness invited by Democrats and a senior adviser for Physicians for Reproductive Health. She practices in Georgia and Massachusetts, specializing in complex family planning.
Hawley pressed: “Can men get pregnant?” Verma paused and responded, “I’m not really sure what the goal of the question is.” Hawley insisted it was about establishing “biological reality” and testing her credibility as a scientist, emphasizing that “science and evidence should control.”
Verma countered that such questions are often “used as a political tool” and that she treats patients with “different identities.” She elaborated on the importance of inclusive language in healthcare, noting that transgender and non-binary individuals may seek reproductive services.
This wasn’t the first time Verma faced the question. Earlier, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) had asked the same, receiving a similar evasive response.
SPOILER ALERT: Men cannot get pregnant pic.twitter.com/08JwHUlxIj
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) January 14, 2026
Hawley accused Verma of undermining trust in medicine by conflating sex and gender, declaring, “It’s not complex.” The exchange, lasting several minutes, highlighted the tension between biological definitions and gender-inclusive perspectives.
Public Outrage and Online Reactions
The backlash was swift and intense. On X, Hawley’s post garnered over 127,000 likes and thousands of replies, with many users demanding Verma’s medical license be revoked.
One top comment from the American Principles Project stated, “Any doctor who cannot answer this question should have their medical license revoked.” Another user wrote, “Jokes aside, this is serious. If a physician cannot clearly answer a basic biological question about sex, we have a problem.”
Below are some of the top comments:
Josh Hawley’s post/X
Josh Hawley’s post/X
Josh Hawley’s post/X
Politically, Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) formally requested Georgia’s medical board revoke Verma’s license, calling her response a rejection of “basic biology.”
Who is Dr. Nisha Verma?
Dr. Nisha Verma is an Indian-American OB-GYN and senior adviser for Physicians for Reproductive Health, a nonprofit advocating for abortion access and comprehensive reproductive care.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, she completed her residency at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where she now serves as an assistant professor.
Verma is board-certified and has focused her career on complex family planning, including abortion services, and has testified before Congress multiple times on reproductive health issues.
Her work emphasizes equity in healthcare, particularly for marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ individuals.
A Cultural Flashpoint
The clip has become more than just a moment from a Senate hearing — it’s now a flashpoint in America’s ongoing debate over gender, science, and politics.
Critics say it’s part of a broader trend where Republican lawmakers use viral moments to stoke outrage and score online points.
Supporters of the GOP say it’s about holding experts accountable and protecting the public from what they view as ideological overreach in medicine and education.
And in the middle are healthcare providers like Dr. Verma, who are increasingly being drawn into public political battles over how to talk about sex, gender, and identity.
What’s Next?
With the Supreme Court now considering the future of mifepristone and Republican candidates ramping up messaging on gender and education ahead of the 2026 midterms, moments like this aren’t likely to slow down.
But for now, one Senate question: Can men get pregnant? has reignited an entire nation’s debate. And based on the reaction, that debate isn’t going away anytime soon.
What do you think? Can men get pregnant? Your turn to answer.
