Last week, Women’s boxer Imane Khelif of Algeria was allowed to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics despite failing gender eligibility tests at the 2023 World Championships. And even though she is not transgender and was born a biological woman, her presence at the Olympics re-ignited debate regarding transgender women in sports, and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took the opportunity to make his stance very clear.
During a political rally this weekend, Donald Trump declared that if he is elected president, he will not allow transgender women – who he intentionally misgendered in his post as “men” – to compete in women’s sports.
“I will keep men out of women’s sports,” Trump said during his speech.
Trump went on to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris for her stance on transgender athletes while making several bizarre claims.
“If Kamala Harris gets in, the travesty that is taking place at the Paris Olympics will come to America when we host the Los Angeles Olympics.”
It’s worth noting that the president does not determine who is eligible to compete in the Olympics – that is determined by the International Olympic Committee. It’s also worth reiterating that Khelif is not a “man,” as Trump suggests. She was born a woman and has competed as a woman for many years without issue until she was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the International Boxing Association. However, that disqualification has been called into question with the International Olympic Committee calling it a “sudden and arbitrary decision” with no “due process” or “proper procedure” after they had competed for years without issue.
