Former President Donald Trump stirred controversy during a speech in Alabama when he mimicked a transgender weightlifter, using exaggerated gestures and voice inflections to portray both a female competitor and a transgender athlete.
In his remarks, Trump described a scenario of a female weightlifter attempting to break an 18-year record while her parents proudly watched from the front row.
“She’s gonna lift that… they put an eighth of an ounce here and an eighth of an ounce here, a little tiny little bit,” Trump said, before shifting his voice to a higher pitch to imitate the female athlete: “Mom, I love you. I’m gonna do it for you, mom.”
Trump then gestured as if struggling with a weight, saying, “She gets it… mom, I’m gonna do it… can’t do it.”
The former president then pivoted to depicting a transgender competitor, referring to “a guy… or a gal or whatever a transitions person” who he claimed “was a failed weightlifter as a man.”
Trump continued the impression by saying this athlete easily broke the record “by 119 pounds,” concluding, “that’s not right.”
The comments come amid ongoing national debates about transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports, an issue that has become increasingly politicized in recent years. Several Republican-led states have enacted legislation restricting transgender athletes’ participation in sports consistent with their gender identity.
Supporters maintain they highlight legitimate competitive fairness concerns in athletics.
