President Donald Trump is determined to challenge the inclusion of transgender athletes in Olympic sports by urging the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to make changes ahead of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
In a signing ceremony for an executive order on Wednesday, Trump announced that his administration is pushing for the IOC to “rethink everything related to the Olympics” and address what he called the “absolutely ridiculous” issue of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
The executive order gives the Secretary of State’s office the authority to pressure the IOC to revise its policies governing Olympic events. The goal is to ensure that eligibility for women’s sports is determined by sex, not gender identity or testosterone levels, to promote fairness and safety for female athletes.
Additionally, the order mandates a review by the Secretary of State and the Department of Homeland Security regarding U.S. policies on granting entry to males seeking to participate in women’s sports. It should be noted that there is currently no evidence of male athletes competing in women’s Olympic events.
In December, outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach expressed confidence that the Olympic body could work with the Trump administration on these concerns. Trump had supported Los Angeles’ bid for the 2024 Games, which were ultimately awarded to Paris.
Officials from the LA28 organizing committee did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman reportedly met with Trump in Florida last month, prior to the start of his second term, and stated that both parties were eager to ensure a successful Games.
The IOC has largely remained neutral on the issue of transgender athletes, leaving it to individual sports’ governing bodies to establish their own participation rules. These guidelines vary widely, with some organizations like World Aquatics imposing stricter rules, while others, such as World Triathlon, have more lenient standards.
The IOC’s position on transgender athletes could shift significantly in the near future with the impending retirement of President Thomas Bach. One potential successor is Sebastian Coe, the former track and field star and current president of World Athletics. Coe has been a vocal advocate for limiting participation in women’s sports to cisgender women.
Under Coe’s leadership, World Athletics implemented a ban on transgender athletes in international competition two years ago, mirroring the policy of swimming. They also introduced new regulations requiring athletes to undergo hormone-suppressing treatment for six months before they can compete in women’s events.
The debate around transgender athletes intensified at the Paris Olympics last summer, with Trump stepping into the controversy. On the campaign trail, he frequently misgendered two female Olympic boxers, Imane Khelif of Algeria and Li Yu-ting of Taiwan, by referring to them as men. He argued that their participation in the Paris Games was “demeaning to women,” despite both athletes being assigned female at birth and identifying as women.
Trump reiterated his claims on Wednesday, referencing the two athletes again.
“They had two women or two people that transitioned, and both of them won gold medals very convincingly,” Trump said. “But all of that ends today because with this executive order, the war on women’s sports is over.”
Looking ahead, the key question is how much influence the United States can exert on the IOC. Given the contentious nature of the issue, Trump’s executive order could spark a push among international federations for the IOC to establish a consistent and unified standard on transgender participation in sports.
