Donald Trump Vows to Keep Men Out of Women’s Sports Amid Olympic Boxing Controversy; Kamala Harris Remains Silent

The 2024 Summer Olympics have sparked a major controversy involving two boxers who were previously disqualified from competing due to having XY chromosomes, now participating in the women’s division.

This debate has attracted high-profile attention, including from former U.S. President and current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Algeria’s Imane Khelif, who has XY chromosomes, punches Italy’s Angela Carini in the women’s 66kg preliminaries round of 16 boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

During an appearance on Clay Travis’ radio show “Clay & Buck,” Trump firmly stated, “Men will not be playing in women’s sports.” He criticized the physicality of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s performance, saying, “When you look at this young lady, you look and say, ‘Oh man, what hit me? I just got hit by a horse!’ I’ve never seen that where two jabs made her say, ‘I’ve had enough.’ It’s ridiculous.”

We will not have men playing in women’s sports. pic.twitter.com/nM1QtJ5ySQ

— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) July 19, 2024

The controversy has intensified as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stands by its decision to allow Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan to compete in the women’s division. Khelif’s fight against Italian Angela Carini, which ended after just 46 seconds, drew significant attention after Carini claimed she had “never been hit so hard” in her life.

President Trump pledges to @ClayTravis: "Men will not be playing in women's sports. You guys can write it down."

More in the podcast: https://t.co/hGBO5bCsXU pic.twitter.com/AZfmOLctfk

— The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show (@clayandbuck) August 1, 2024

The Harris campaign and the White House have yet to provide a statement regarding the ongoing debate. Despite multiple requests for comment, Vice President Kamala Harris and the White House have remained silent. Harris has not addressed the issue publicly or through social media.

IOC spokesperson Mark Adams responded sharply to inquiries about including Khelif and Yu-ting, expressing frustration at the scrutiny and stating, “I think it’s not helpful to start stigmatizing people who participate in sports like this. But they are women. They competed in the Tokyo Olympics.” He urged a reduction in the controversy, stating, “I think we all have a responsibility, by the way, to dial down this and not turn it into some witch hunt. These are regular athletes who have competed for many years in boxing.”

Kamala Harris has not responded to several requests for comment on the controversial IOC decision to allow two XY-chromosome boxers to compete against women at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

In a joint statement released Thursday, the IOC and the Paris Boxing Unit reaffirmed their commitment to allowing Khelif and Yu-ting to compete in the women’s division, underscoring their adherence to existing regulations.