President Donald Trump is keeping the promises he made on his first day as the President of the United States of America for his second innings. The POTUS signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in women's sports, fulfilling a promise that was at the center of his 2024 campaign.
What will the order do?
According to a White House document on the executive order, the order will establish sweeping mandates on sex and sports policy and will direct federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, to interpret federal Title IX rules as prohibiting the participation of transgender girls and women in female sports categories.
Titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports," the order will mandate immediate enforcement, including against schools and athletic associations that "deny women single-sex sports and single-sex locker rooms," according to the document, and will direct state attorneys general to identify best practices for enforcing the mandate.
Surrounded by female athletes at the signing ceremony, Trump railed against what he called "transgender lunacy." The President said, "Under the Trump administration, we will defend the proud tradition of female athletes, and we will not allow men to beat up, injure and cheat our women and our girls."
At the signing ceremony, President Trump highlighted Gaines' efforts and determination and reflected on the 2022 NCAA Championships incident, referring to it as "ridiculous."
He said, "Riley was a 12 time all-American who sacrificed countless hours in the pool." President Trump said. "She gave up everything and just gave everyhting she had but then the league forced her to share a spot on the podium with a male swimmer who took her trophy while the media celebrated this stolen glory."
He added, "I watched it, a lot of people watched it. It was ridiculous frankly but I want to thank Riley. She really has been in the forefront."
Who is Riley Gains?
Riley Gaines is a former competitive swimmer at the University of Kentucky, who became a prominent voice against the notion of transgender athletes competing in women's sports following the 2022 NCAA Women's Swimming Championships.
Gaines competed against Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer in the 200-yard freestyle final in 2022. Thomas, who competed for Penn State before the gender transition, represented Pennsylvania in 2022, tying for fifth place alongside Gaines. However, only Thomas was presented with a fifth place trophy, while Gaines was asked to pose on the podium holding the sixth place trophy, with her being promised to be sent later by mail.
Gaines was quite ‘furious’ with that incident and that fueled her drive to advocate for change. Since then, the former NCAA swimmer has consistently voiced her commitment to women's safety in sports and against the inclusion of transgender athletes.
Gaines’ gratitude!
Gaines expressed her joy after President Donald Trump signed the executive order. Trump also emphasized the non-participation of transgender athletes in the upcoming Summer Games, to be held in Los Angeles in 2028. Sharing her contentment, Gaines wrote, "I can't even tell you how much this visual means to me. This is EVERYTHING. THIS is why we fight."
Gaines also commended President Trump on his executive order banning gender-affirming care for individuals under 19.
Additionally, on the day of signing the executive order, Trump also falsely claimed that Algerian boxer Imane Khelif -- who faced attacks over her sex and gender during the 2024 Paris Olympics -- was "a male," despite identifying as a woman and having been assigned female at birth, according to the IOC.
The White House expects sports bodies like the NCAA to change their rules following the order after it is signed, according to a senior administration official.
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