Trump reaffirms ban on transgender athletes in women's sports at West Point

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President Donald Trump reiterated that girls and women “will not” compete against transgender athletes during his commencement speech at West Point Saturday.

Trump signed an executive order Feb. 5 that prohibits biological boys and men from competing in girls and women’s sports.

While speaking to 1,002 graduates, Trump revisited the topic.

“We will not have men in women’s sports, if that’s OK,” he said. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to have to tackle, as an example, (quarterback) Bryson (Daily) as a man. But I don’t think a lot of women want to tackle him. I don’t think so. How crazy is it? Men playing in women’s sports. How crazy is it? So ridiculous. So demeaning. So demeaning to women. And it’s over. That’s over. We ended it.”

Several states have defied Trump’s order, resulting in federal Title IX investigations. The Department of Agriculture also temporarily ended federal funding to the state of Maine, but the funding was restored by a federal judge.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills and Trump got into a highly-publicized spat shortly after the order was signed.

Earlier this month, a school district in Washington, a blue state, voted to keep trans athletes out of girls sports. The ruling defies a policy by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), enacted in 2007, that allows transgender students to participate based on their gender identity.

In May, a trans athlete competed in a girls cross-country championship in the state and won.

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Trump delivered a similar notion while speaking to graduates at the University of Alabama earlier this month.

A New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don’t think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women’s sports.

Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.