Trump Draws Backlash After Mocking Transgender Athletes at GOP Retreat. Donald Trump mocked transgender athletes while speaking to Republican lawmakers at the House GOP’s annual retreat, using exaggerated impressions to argue against transgender participation in women’s sports. During his remarks, Trump performed a weightlifting routine meant to portray a transgender athlete struggling on stage, prompting laughter from some in the audience and swift criticism online. A clip of the moment was shared by the White House’s “Rapid Response 47” account on X, quoting Trump as saying his wife disliked the impression. Trump said first lady Melania Trump disapproved of his impressions, adding she thought the weightlifting routine was “terrible.” He then contrasted the act with a second impression of a male athlete effortlessly lifting the weights, reinforcing his claim of unfairness in women’s competitions. Trump also claimed that “two transitioned people” had won Olympic gold medals in boxing, remarks widely disputed by fact-checkers. The athletes he appeared to reference, Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, were both identified as female at birth and competed in women’s events. The comments came amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to roll back transgender rights, including bans on transgender military service and limits on gender markers in official documents.