Trump celebrates as SCOTUS upholds ban on trans athlete in female sports

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump took a victory lap as the Supreme Court handed him a major culture-war win by upholding bans on transgender athletes competing in female sports.

The 80-year-old President celebrated the ‘big win’ with the SCOTUS clearing West Virginia and Idaho to enforce restrictions reserving girls’ and women’s school teams for biological females.

In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court noted that it was up to the states to decide on trans athletes in women's sports, arguing the laws do not violate the 14th Amendment or Title IX.

WH celebrated SCOTUS taking 'ridiculous situation off the table'

The President, who made bans on transgender people a central theme of his 2024 campaign, upheld the decision in a Truth Social post, saying, "BIG WIN: The United States Supreme Court just RULED AGAINST MEN PLAYING IN WOMEN’S SPORTS. Wow! That takes that ridiculous situation off the table!!!"

The White House also celebrated the decision on X, declaring: “FROM NOW ON, WOMEN’S SPORTS WILL ONLY BE FOR WOMEN.”

The justices combined West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox into one opinion, issuing a decision likely to shape transgender athlete policies across the country, where 25 states already have comparable restrictions.

Donald Trump has spent years making the fight against transgender participation in girls' and women's sports one of his defining political causes.

Shortly after returning to office, he signed the "No Men in Women's Sports" executive order, declaring, "The war on women's sports is over."

Trump repeatedly threatened to halt federal funding to states that did not comply with his executive order. Trump froze funds for Maine, but a federal judge ruled they had to be unfrozen.

Earlier in January, the President mocked trans athletes while addressing Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives, using examples from weightlifting and boxing as he argued against transgender participation in women’s sports.

Melania Trump shares rare statement supporting SCOTUS ruling

Not just Trump, but even the First Lady and his wife, Melania, supported the ban on transgender athletes, while maintaining that she supports LGBTQ rights.

“America, we can support the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community and also protect opportunities for female athletes,” she said in a Tuesday post on the social platform X.

“Respect everyone and keep girls’ sports fair. Both ideals are essential,” she continued.

This came after Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the majority, shot down arguments that transgender athlete restrictions unconstitutionally discriminate based on sex or gender identity.

“In other words, may schools determine eligibility for women’s and girls’ sports based on biological sex? The answer is yes,” Kavanaugh wrote.

“Consistent with Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause, we hold that the States may maintain women’s and girls’ sports for biological females. They may determine eligibility for women’s and girls’ sports based on biological sex. The Constitution and Title IX do not require an overhaul of women’s and girls’ sports throughout America,” he added.