Tomi Lahren and Meghan McCain have defended male cheerleaders in the National Football League ( NFL ) amid a social media backlash against men participating in the sport.

The controversy began on August 9 when the Minnesota Vikings took to Instagram to announce its squad, which includes two male cheerleaders: Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn.

The NFL team posted a video featuring Conn and his teammates with a caption that said, "The next generation of cheer has arrived!"

Newsweek has contacted Lahren and McCain for comment via email on Thursday.

Why It Matters

Cheerleading originated in the 1800s as a male-only sport at Ivy League schools, according to USA Cheer. It wasn't until World War II that women began participating as men went off to war.

In the 1950s and '60s, the NFL

See Full Page