Donald Trump has revealed that there will be ‘strong forms of testing’ as part of his clamp down on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports at the Olympics.
Trump signed the executive order to ban trans athletes from women’s sports back in February – with the United States set to host the Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
It took many months but, in July, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee complied with Trump’s demand, in a major breakthrough for the President.
During a press conference on Tuesday, focused on the Olympics, Trump reflected further on the matter and assured that there would be strict testing involved.
Trump was asked: ‘Will the Department of Justice consider pressing charges against any man that tries to masquerade as a woman coming into this country to beat up American athletes? Would you consider genetic testing so these people can prove they’re women?’
The President responded: ‘I think there is going to be a very strong form of testing. As far as charges, I’d have to ask the Attorney General about that.
Donald Trump has revealed that there will be ‘strong forms of testing’ as part of his clamp down on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports
The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee has reportedly complied with Trump’s order
‘But there will be a very, very strong form of testing. And if the test doesn’t come out appropriately, they won’t be in the Olympics’.
Trump also address the US Olympic Committee’s decision to back his executive order and – in doing so – also called out those who did applaud the news on Tuesday.
‘Welcome the chair of the US Olympic Committee Gene Sykes. I thank him for recently banning men from competing in women’s sports’, the President said.
There was no applause after the announcement. He continued: ‘It’s amazing that I don’t hear any applause for that’. The crowd swiftly clapped.
The bombshell announcement comes just days after the Department of Homeland Security revealed that it was updating it’s visa policies – which will prevent transgender women from entering the US to compete in women’s events.
Matthew Tragesser, a spokesperson for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said that the agency is ‘closing the loophole for foreign male athletes whose only chance at winning elite sports is to change their gender identity and leverage their biological advantages against women.’
‘It’s a matter of safety, fairness, respect, and truth that only female athletes receive a visa to come to the U.S. to participate in women’s sports.
‘The Trump Administration is standing up for the silent majority who’ve long been victims of leftist policies that defy common sense.’
Back in May, the president threatened to pull federal funding in California if the state did not follow the order, before suing its Department of Education when they refused to do so.
The USCIS has stepped in line with Trump’s efforts to ban trans athletes from women’s sports
The lawsuit filed by the Justice Department said California’s trans athlete stance violated Title IX, the federal law that bans discrimination in education based on sex.
The department also claimed the state’s policies ‘are not only illegal and unfair but also demeaning, signaling to girls that their opportunities and achievements are secondary to accommodating boys.’
US Attorney General Pam Bondi warned other states that allow trans girls to compete in female athletics that they could also face challenges by the federal government.
Yet, last month the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee complied with the policies passed down from the White House.
The committee updated its policies in July to reflect Trump’s order and suggest that trans women will no longer be able to compete against biological females while representing USA at the Olympics and Paralympics, according to NBC News.
While the word ‘transgender’ is not mentioned in any of the 27 pages, its new ‘Athlete Safety Policy’ includes language that implies the change has been made almost a year on from the previous Games in Paris.
Last year’s Paris Olympics was marred by controversy after Imane Khelif – a boxer from Algeria – was allowed to fight against women in the welterweight category despite intense scrutiny over her gender.
Khelif went all the way and captured gold in the French capital, which sparked outrage given she was thrown out of the world championship in 2023 after allegedly failing gender eligibility tests.
USA Fencing recently posted a new policy for trans athletes that will take effect on August 1. The governing body, which came under fire earlier this year after a female fencer was disqualified for refusing to face a trans opponent, will now restric trans women to only competing in the men’s category.
