Melania Trump has made her position clear regarding transgender athletes, aligning with her husband, Donald Trump, in what many see as a strong statement on the issue.
In her memoir, Melania, released in October 2024, she offered a pointed six-word critique: “Deepening the divisions in our society.”
The 180-page book was published in the midst of the 2024 election campaign, a time when Trump was vocal about his plans to ban transgender women from competing in female sports leagues.
As part of his campaign, he pledged to remove “transgender insanity” from schools and ensure that only biological females could compete in women’s sports.
Now, five months later, Trump has returned to the White House as the 47th President of the United States and has taken immediate action to fulfill this promise.
In February 2025, he signed an executive order prohibiting transgender women from participating in female sports competitions.
The measure, however, faced a significant hurdle in the Senate, failing to advance after a test vote fell short of the 60-vote threshold. Democratic lawmakers strongly opposed the bill, temporarily stalling its progress.
Despite this setback, Trump has vowed to press forward with his agenda, reaffirming his commitment to “keeping men out of women’s sports.”
Melania Trump Weighs in on the Debate
While her memoir does not mention Trump’s policy directly, Melania Trump’s comments suggest she supports the efforts to regulate transgender participation in sports. Addressing the debate, she wrote,
“Today, some groups attempt to impose their ideologies on everyone, deepening the divisions in our society. One example is the ongoing debate over trans inclusion in sports, specifically when male-born athletes who identify as female compete against women.”
She elaborated on her concerns, arguing that biological differences can impact fairness in competition. Even at the high school level, she suggested, the presence of a single transgender athlete could disrupt the competitive balance within female sports leagues.
“High school athletes often dedicate years to training with the hope of being recruited by universities. Seeing that dream collapse is an unnecessary and avoidable consequence,” she added.
However, she also made it clear that her stance on the issue does not indicate opposition to LGBT+ rights.
Trump Pushes Forward With Executive Orders on Transgender Athletes
During his recent address to Congress, Trump escalated his position, threatening to cut funding to schools that do not comply with his directive to ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports.
He firmly stated his belief that there are “only two genders” and that athletic competition should be categorized strictly based on biological sex at birth—unless a co-ed exemption applies.
The ‘No Men in Women’s Sports’ executive order, which he signed last month, is just one of several measures his administration has taken to restrict transgender rights since he resumed office in January 2025.
This marks the fourth executive action targeting transgender policies, reflecting his administration’s broader efforts to roll back gender inclusion policies introduced during previous administrations.
Trump’s latest policies and Melania’s comments highlight the ongoing debate surrounding transgender inclusion in sports, an issue that remains highly polarizing in the U.S..
While Trump and many Republicans argue their policies protect fairness in women’s sports, Democrats and LGBTQ+ advocates argue that such policies discriminate against transgender individuals and deny them equal opportunities.
