President Donald Trump delivered pointed criticism toward the US Supreme Court during a White House press conference on Tuesday. According to sources, he expressed frustration with what he characterized as certain justices appearing sympathetic toward allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports.
The remarks came in response to recent Supreme Court hearings examining two significant cases regarding transgender athlete participation at the K-12 and college levels. Trump stated his belief that the court’s handling of these matters could damage its standing with the American public.
“Big Supreme Court case. I mean, I can’t believe it. Some of the justices were fighting hard for men to be able to play in women’s sports. A couple of them, I can’t imagine it. But I think anybody that rules that way should lose a lot of credibility. But we banned men from playing in women’s sports,” Trump said during the briefing.
The president emphasized his position by referencing athletic performance data. “All you have to do is look at the records, look at weightlifting records, look at swimming records, look at track and field. This is not fair. It’s very demeaning to women,” he added.
Trump also directed criticism toward the previous administration’s stance on the issue. “The past administration, they had no clue or they were really bad, but they basically had no clue,” Trump stated. “But they did have, a concept. I mean, they’re still trying to sell the idea of men playing in women’s sports.”
The Supreme Court recently heard arguments in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J., cases examining whether states possess constitutional authority to prohibit biological males from participating in women’s and girls’ sports. Lower courts had previously ruled in favor of transgender athletes who contested state prohibitions in Idaho and West Virginia, which are among more than 24 Republican-led states implementing such restrictions.
During the Supreme Court proceedings, which extended over three hours, the conservative majority appeared inclined to support the state laws. At least five of the six conservative justices on the nine-member court suggested the legislation does not violate either constitutional protections or Title IX, the federal law prohibiting discrimination in education that has significantly expanded opportunities for girls’ and women’s sports.
Liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson questioned state attorneys defending biological requirements for women’s sports during the hearings. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to their questioning last Thursday, stating, “I think, frankly, it was quite alarming to not only hear a couple of justices grapple over that basic fundamental biological fact that men and women are different but inherently equal, but we are certainly different, and women deserve such rights.”
Leavitt expressed confidence in the outcome, saying, “We hope and expect that the Supreme Court will rule in the right way on this matter.”
When asked by former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines whether the administration would take measures against states refusing to comply with a potential Supreme Court ruling banning transgender athletes from women’s sports, Leavitt responded affirmatively.
“Absolutely,” she said. “The administration … [has] taken action on a number of fronts against these states who are failing to uphold the president’s executive orders and this administration’s policy of simply protecting women and women’s sports and women’s private spaces.”
President Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in women’s athletic competitions. According to the Supreme Court, 30 states currently have restrictions on transgender athlete participation in girls’ and women’s sports.
However, several states with Democratic leadership chose not to enforce Trump’s executive order. In May, the president threatened to withhold federal funding from California if the state refused compliance. When California maintained its position, the Justice Department initiated legal action against the state’s Department of Education.
The lawsuit argued that California’s policies violated Title IX, with the Justice Department claiming the state’s approach was “not only illegal and unfair but also demeaning, signaling to girls that their opportunities and achievements are secondary to accommodating boys.”
US Attorney General Pam Bondi has warned Minnesota and Maine, alongside California, that they may face federal legal challenges over their policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports.
