White House respond to IOC banning trans athletes from LA 2028 Olympics

The White House has immediately responded after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned transgender athletes from participating in the 2028 Olympic Games.

The IOC confirmed on March 26 that women’s Olympic categories will be limited to biological females for the games that will be hosted by Los Angeles.

Eligibility in the games will be determined by a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ sex test which would prevent transgender women from competing against females.

The IOC statement read: “Based on scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the presence of the SRY gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced male sex development. Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods.

“Athletes who test negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the female category. Unless there is reason to believe that a negative reading is in error, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime test.”

The White House wasted no time in reacting to the decision, praising the IOC’s decision as it aligns with president Donald Trump’s views on transgender athletes competing in sports not aligned with their birth sex.

The IOC decision aligns with the Trump administration's policy (Getty)

Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 aiming to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s and girl’s sports by denying federal funds for schools and colleges that permit it.

“The IOC aligning their policy with President Trump’s Executive Order ahead of the 2028 LA Games is common sense and long-overdue,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement Thursday.

White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, credited Trump’s executive order for the IOC’s decision.

She wrote on X: “You cannot change your sex. President Trump's Executive Order protecting women's sports made this happen!”

The IOC clarified that an exception could be made for athletes "with a diagnosis of Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or other rare differences/disorders in sex development (DSDs) who do not benefit from the anabolic and/or performance-enhancing effects of testosterone".