In addition to issuing a threat to schools that disregard it, on Wednesday, Feb. 5, President Donald Trump signed an order prohibiting transgender athletes from playing women’s sports. According to Trump’s executive order, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” U.S. agencies are instructed to stop providing government assistance to any noncompliant schools. Speaking from the White House East Room, Trump declared, “From now on, women’s sports will be only for women,” while surrounded by scores of young female athletes in team uniforms. “With this executive order, the war on women’s sports is over.”
The Republican president claimed that “men claiming to be girls” had “invaded” more than 11,000 competitions meant for women and “stolen” more than 3,500 victories. He claimed that a man in women’s powerlifting broke two world records and outlifted others by 440 pounds, and that an Algerian female boxer at the summer Olympics in Paris was assigned male at birth.
As Trump signed the executive order, the women and girls in the crowd shouted and clapped.
“Now you’re going to go out and win those events, right?” Trump asked, staring directly into the eyes of a female athlete.
He said the directive is part of a “sweeping effort to reclaim our culture and our laws.” In accordance with Title IX, a federal law that forbids sex discrimination on campuses, it requires the Department of Education to inform schools that allowing transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports is illegal. Schools that violate that are not eligible to receive federal funding.
“With my action this afternoon, we’re putting every school receiving taxpayer dollars on notice that if you let men take over women’s sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated for violations of Title IX and risk your federal funding,” Trump warned. “There will be no federal funding.”
To ensure compliance outside of educational settings, the order also instructs administration officials to collaborate with the International Olympic Committee and other sports regulatory bodies. Trump emphasized ending transgender rights and transgender people competing in women’s sports and made it a key component of his 2024 presidential campaign.
