United States President Donald Trump issued a significant executive order on Wednesday, aiming to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. This directive marks his latest initiative targeting transgender individuals since resuming office.
“From now on, women’s sports will be exclusively for women. With this executive order, we are putting an end to the war on women’s sports,” Trump stated during the signing ceremony at the White House, flanked by children and female athletes.
Prominent Republican figures, including US House Speaker Mike Johnson and Congresswoman Marjorie Greene, attended the event, offering their support.
“We will protect the proud tradition of female athletes and will not let men undermine our women and girls,” Trump declared, receiving enthusiastic applause from the audience.
The executive order authorizes federal agencies to withdraw funding from educational institutions that allow transgender athletes to participate on women’s teams. “If you permit men to take over women’s sports teams or enter female locker rooms, be prepared for an investigation and the potential loss of your federal funding,” he warned.
Trump vowed to advocate for changes to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines concerning transgender athletes in advance of the 2028 Los Angeles Games. He instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to communicate the administration’s position to the IOC, insisting on modifications related to this contentious issue.
Additionally, he directed Homeland Security Chief Kristi Noem to refuse visa applications from individuals “fraudulently entering the United States as women athletes” seeking to compete in the Olympics.
As part of a broader cultural debate, Trump has consistently focused on gender non-conforming individuals, advancing a right-wing agenda since the beginning of his second term. During his inauguration, he proclaimed that federal policy would officially recognize only two genders, eliminating a third gender option.
Shortly thereafter, he signed an order to exclude transgender individuals from the military and restricted gender transition procedures for those under 19.
These actions come despite transgender individuals representing a small minority of the US population. Throughout the ongoing 2024 election campaign, Trump has targeted his Democratic opponents on the contentious topic of transgender rights, seeking to capitalize on the culture war surrounding the issue.
A notable campaign line against his rival Kamala Harris has been, “Kamala Harris is for they/them. President Trump is for you,” exploiting her support for transgender rights. His latest executive order follows recent legislation passed by the Republican-led House of Representatives aimed at limiting transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports.
As transgender visibility increases in the United States, raising discussions about gender norms and fairness, a significant number of conservatives continue to rally around the cause of protecting women’s sports.
