At a White House ceremony on Tuesday, May 5, President Donald Trump, 79, criticized the inclusion of transgender athletes and defended U.S. military actions in Iran, at one point even jokingly questioning if a teenager could best him in a fight. The remarks came as he signed a proclamation to bring back the Presidential Physical Fitness Award. This move signals a push to return to the school-based physical strength testing of the past, reversing the Obama administration’s shift toward programs centered on general, long-term health.
While surrounded by students and professional athletes at the Resolute Desk, President Trump took aim at his predecessor, sarcastically “thanking” Barack Obama for phasing out the Presidential Fitness Test. Trump, who reestablished the 1950s-era program via executive order last summer, framed the move as a defense of “cherished athletic traditions” and competitive values.
The ceremony took a turn toward the President’s frequent rhetorical targets:
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Transgender Athletes: After a student mentioned an interest in powerlifting, Trump brought up a recurring anecdote about a trans woman breaking lifting records, assuring the boy he wouldn’t have to worry about such competition.
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Gender-Affirming Care: He disparaged medical treatments for transgender youth, labeling them “mutilization” and telling the children present not to listen to such ideas.
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Physicality: In a lighthearted moment, Trump slapped the student’s arm and asked, “You think you could take me in a fight?”
Beyond fitness, the nearly hour-long event served as a platform for the President to reiterate claims of a “rigged” 2020 election and defend military interventions in Iran by the U.S. and Israel. The day concluded with the President hitting golf balls with the children on the lawn and dancing to “Y.M.C.A.”