Washington DC: US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday aimed at prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports, media reports said.

This marks another step in his continued focus on transgender issues since returning to office.

"With this executive order the war on women's sports is over," said Trump, speaking at the White House before signing the order, reported AFP.

Trump made the announcement surrounded by children and female athletes.

The signing ceremony was attended by several top Republican figures, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Congresswoman Marjorie Greene.

Defending female athletes

"We will defend the proud tradition of female athletes, and we will not allow men to beat up, injure and cheat our women and our girls. From now on, women sports will be only for women," Trump said, receiving applause from the audience.

The executive order grants government agencies the power to withdraw federal funds from schools that permit transgender athletes to join women’s teams.

"It is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy," the order stated, reported AFP

Pushing for international changes

Trump also revealed plans to lobby the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to revise its rules concerning transgender athletes.

According to the report, he expressed his intentions to influence IOC policies before the 2028 Los Angeles Games, saying, "We want them to change everything having to do with the Olympics and having to do with this absolutely ridiculous subject."

In addition, Trump ordered Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to deny visa applications from "men attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying themselves as women athletes to try and get into the Games."

Ongoing culture war

Since his second term inauguration in January, Trump has pursued a series of orders targeting transgender rights as part of his broader right-wing agenda.

These actions have included a ban on transgender troops in the military and restrictions on gender transition procedures for minors under 19.

Despite transgender people representing a small fraction of the US population, Trump has made transgender rights a key issue in the 2024 election campaign, framing it as part of a wider culture war.

His rhetoric against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, including his line "Kamala Harris is for they/them. President Trump is for you," focused on the divisive topic of transgender rights.

Trump’s latest executive order follows a bill passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives in January, which seeks to severely limit transgender participation in girls’ and women’s sports.

As transgender issues gain more visibility in the US, they continue to ignite debates on gender fairness and sports, with conservatives notably rallying around the protection of women’s sports.