Archive · 7 Jan 2026
Trump Imitates Trans Athletes, Sparks Backlash
President Donald Trump made fun of transgender athletes during a speech to Republican members.
He pretended to lift weights and made faces, saying it was like a female weightlifter competing against a transgender athlete.
Many people online were upset, saying it was mean and made fun of a serious issue.
Trump also said his wife didn't like him doing this.
This isn't the first time he's done this.
His administration has also taken steps to reduce protections for transgender people, like not letting them serve in the military or change their gender on passports.
People are questioning why he's focusing on this instead of more important things.
Donald Trump imitated transgender athletes during a speech at the Kennedy Center, Washington.
The imitation involved pretending to lift weights and grimacing, mimicking a female weightlifter competing against a transgender athlete.
Trump mentioned his wife disapproved of the act, saying it was unpresidential.
The video sparked backlash online, with critics calling it mean and trivializing a sensitive issue.
This is not the first time Trump has mocked transgender athletes in public, having done so previously in May 2025.
- Who
- Donald Trump
- What
- Imitated transgender athletes, sparking backlash
- When
- January 6, 2026
- Where
- Kennedy Center, Washington
- Why
- To make a point about transgender athletes in women's sports
- Event
- Trump imitates transgender athletes at Republican retreat
- Location
- Kennedy Center, Washington
- Backlash
- Online criticism for mocking transgender people
- Previous Incident
- Similar imitation at University of Alabama in May 2025
- Administrative Actions
- Scaling back protections for transgender and intersex people
- Military Policy
- Bar on transgender people serving in the military
- Passport Policy
- Preventing gender identity matching on passports