☕ Trump's trans sport ban

It’s Thursday.

The reshaping of American policies across foreign relations, public institutions, security and intelligence services, immigration - and now sport - continue. In today’s edition, we break down reactions to President Trump’s Gaza takeover comments, and a new executive order banning trans women from participating in women’s sport.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

🪧 Thousands have attended protests across the US, opposing the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape federal government departments, the influence of Elon Musk, and harsh immigration policies. An online movement for 50 protests in 50 states sparked the demonstrations, with the largest protest held outside the Capitol building. Some members of Congress have expressed concern as to the influence of Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is leading many of the new restructures.

🇦🇷 Argentina will withdraw from the World Health Organisation, weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump signed off on the United States’ withdrawal. Argentina’s President Javier Milei criticised the WHO’s handling of the pandemic in an announcement this week. He called the global health body’s quarantine requirements “one of the most outlandish crimes against humanity in history,” saying Argentina has “decided to leave such a harmful organisation”. Trump ordered the U.S. withdrawal from the organisation during the first hours of his Presidency last month. The WHO said it was disappointed in the decision, but that it’s more than 190 other member countries would “get on with the business of protecting…providing…and promoting health."

🇸🇪 35-year-old Swede Rickard Andersson has been named by Swedish media as the perpetrator of the deadliest mass shooting in Sweden’s history. The death toll at the Risbergska adult education center stands at 10, as well as Andersson. Andersson is a former student of the center, but police have not confirmed the exact motives of the killer. Authorities say another five people are being treated in hospital, and are in a critical but stable condition.

🇮🇳 Indian President Narendra Modi will visit the US next week for a two-day trip, including a state dinner and meetings with President Trump. Modi, who had a close relationship with Trump during his first term, is one of the first foreign leaders invited to the White House in Trump’s second term, following Israeli and Japanese leaders. They are expected to discuss immigration and tariffs, after President Trump recently deported illegal Indian immigrants, and criticized India's high tariffs on US goods. The exact dates of the visit are yet to be announced.

I’ve got 1 minute

President Trump has signed an executive order banning transgender women from participating in women’s sports.

Trump said institutions that disobey the order will be denied federal funding.

It follows similar moves by global sporting organisations including World Aquatics and World Athletics.

Context

In 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) published guidelines allowing individual sporting organizations to make their own decisions around athletes’ eligibility.

This has led to several global governing bodies, including swimming and netball, banning almost all trans women from elite competition.

These organizations say going through male puberty gives trans women athletes an unfair advantage over cisgender athletes.

Executive Order

Trump’s executive order is based on his interpretation of Title IX, a law preventing sex-based discrimination in publicly-funded schools. It will mean any education institution will risk losing federal funding if they allow trans women to compete in women’s events.

Executive orders are the President’s main power, and do not require Congressional approval.

This order follows a previous declaration signed on his first day in office requiring the federal government to define sex as either male or female.

Trump said the order meant “the war on women’s sports is over.”

Last year, President Biden sought to amend Title IX to protect LGBTQ students from discrimination based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Biden’s proposed changes to Title IX were overruled by a federal judge last month.

Support

Republicans have voiced their support for the executive order, including Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who said it “restores fairness... and defends the rights of female athletes”.

Mace has previously sought to ban trans women from women’s bathrooms in the US Capitol.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: “This is a wildly popular position with the American people”.

Criticism

LGBTQIA+ advocacy group GLAAD said the order was “inaccurate and incoherent... but does not change the law or the facts.”

LGBTQIA+ sport organization Athlete Ally told The Athletic: “Trans youth already experience higher rates of violence, suicidal thoughts and insecurity in housing than their cisgender peers. This... will only serve to exacerbate these issues.”

What’s next?

It’s not yet clear how the order will be enforced.

The state of California’s school sporting body has said it will not comply with the order because trans athletes are able to participate in sport under state law.

Executive orders can be legally challenged in the federal court.

I’ve got 2 minutes

President Trump has been warned by world leaders against proposing a move of nearly two million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, and redeveloping the seaside enclave into the “Riviera of the Middle East” during a “long-term US ownership” proposal announced on Tuesday.

The announcement

In the announcement earlier this week, President Trump said Palestinians must be moved from Gaza because it is “a demolition site” and they can instead occupy “beautiful areas with homes and safety” in neigboring countries like Jordan or Egypt. Trump suggested the US would be responsible for the area’s redevelopment, “levelling it out” and building on it.

Walking back the statement, the White House said President Trump will not put troops on the ground in Gaza, and the US only would work with regional allies to rebuild it - which would require a temporary relocation of the Palestinians.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s “unconventional thinking”, while the plan has received support from other members of Netanyahu’s government and some of Netanyahu’s rivals.

United Nations

The Secretary General, António Guterres, urged the situation in Palestine not be made worse by US redevelopment, and urged all parties to obey international law. Guterres also emphasized his commitment to a two-state solution.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied territory of Palestine used stronger language, calling the proposal “unlawful, immoral and completely irresponsible”.

Hamas and the Palestinian Authority

Key Hamas figures stressed that these ideas were capable of reigniting and intensifying the conflict, claiming the idea showed ignorance of the Palestinian situation and displayed US bias towards Israel.

The Palestinian Authority accused President Trump of a serious violation of international law, and reiterated that peace would only be achieved through a two-state solution.

Both ruling bodies in Palestine stated they would fight against any US occupation.

Neighboring countries

Saudi Arabia, who is close to normalizing relations with Israel, stated the deal would not happen without the creation of a Palestinian state. Jordan and Iran objected strongly to Palestinian displacement.

The Egyptian President announced he has talked with President Trump, but only about the importance of moving forward with the recovery efforts in Gaza.

Meanwhile, many countries in Europe, including Russia, are against Palestinian displacement, in favour of a two-state solution and warned President Trump of violating international law. China has also called for a two-state solution.