Trump calls out journalists after they didn’t applaud his trans sports ban: ‘Nobody wants to clap?’

President Donald Trump reprimanded journalists at an Olympics press conference because, *checks notes*, no one applauded his trans sports ban ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Trump made the remarks while speaking at a Tuesday (5 August) press conference in light of the upcoming 2026 Olympic Games, which are due to take place in Los Angeles.

He doubled down on his February executive order, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports”, confirming that the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee would adhere to the order and ban trans athletes from women’s categories at the events.

In a White House broadcast, the president welcomed the US Olympic committee chair Gene Sykes and thanked him for “recently banning men from competing in women’s sports”, he said to a silent crowd. 

“It’s amazing the way I don’t hear any applause for that,” Trump added, which made the assembled media awkwardly clap. “But nobody wants to clap, it’s crazy.” 

US Olympic and Paralympic officials banned trans athletes from women’s sports in July. As reported by The New York Times, the Olympic committee “quietly changed its eligibility rules on Monday,” with a “short, vaguely worded paragraph” outlining the updated policy. 

Trump continued, “The United States will not let men steal trophies from women at the 2028 Olympics. We appreciate the fairness.”

During a question segment, a reporter then asked whether the Justice Department would consider pressing charges against trans women who compete in boxing “to beat up American athletes”, as they put it.

The reporter also asked whether the Trump administration would consider making genetic testing a requirement. 

“Well, I think there is going to be a very strong form of testing,” responded the president. “As far as charges, I’d have to ask the attorney general about that.

“But there will be a very, very strong form of testing, and if the test doesn’t come out appropriately, they won’t be in the Olympics.”

Of course, at the last Olympics in Paris, athlete Imane Khelif, a female boxer from Algeria, was at the centre of online “transvestigations”. Despite the International Olympic Committee confirming she complied with their regulations, Trump previously falsely called her trans. 

Trump previously said of trans women in female sports: “As long as I’m president, we will always protect women’s sports. Men will not play in women’s sports. 

“No, men will not be playing in women’s sports,” Trump went on to say. “I said that, and I classified it with a very powerful executive order, as you know. It’s done.” 

The Olympic ban is the latest in a long line of attacks on the trans community from the current administration; Trump recently (5 Aug) banned trans athletes from obtaining ‘extraordinary ability‘ visas, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has also banned trans women from women’s competitions.

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