US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday barring transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports, marking his latest move on transgender issues since returning to office.
“From now on, women’s sports will be only for women,” Trump declared before signing the order at the White House, surrounded by children and female athletes. “With this executive order, the war on women’s sports is over.”
Among those in attendance were top Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who applauded as Trump vowed to protect female athletes.
Trump’s order authorizes government agencies to withhold funding from schools that permit transgender athletes to compete on women’s teams.
“If you let men take over women’s sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated… and risk your federal funding,” Trump warned.
He also pledged to push the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to revise its policies on transgender athletes ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Trump stated that he had directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to urge the IOC to “change everything having to do with the Olympics and this absolutely ridiculous subject.”
Additionally, he announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem would block visa applications from “men fraudulently identifying as women athletes” attempting to compete in the Games.
Ongoing Culture War
Since returning to office, Trump has enacted a series of executive orders aimed at restricting gender identity policies. At his inauguration, he declared that US government policy would recognize only two genders, male and female, eliminating third-gender options in official settings.
Shortly after, he signed orders to prohibit what he termed “transgender ideology” in the military and to restrict gender transition procedures for individuals under 19.
Despite transgender individuals comprising a small percentage of the population, the issue has become a major point of contention.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump repeatedly criticized Democrats over transgender rights, using the topic to rally conservative voters. One of his most viral attack lines against Kamala Harris—”Kamala Harris is for they/them. President Trump is for you”—highlighted her support for transgender rights.
Trump also targeted her past stance on gender reassignment procedures for prisoners.
His latest executive order follows a Republican-led House bill passed in January, which significantly limits transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports.
As the visibility of transgender individuals grows in the US, the debate over gender norms and fairness in sports continues to be a rallying point for conservatives.
