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Former US President Donald Trump has sparked controversy by discussing the physical attributes of Olympic gold medal boxer Imane Khelif during a recent interview with WWE legend The Undertaker on his podcast, "Six Feet Under." Khelif, who won gold in the women's welterweight category at the Paris Olympics, has faced backlash after being banned from the 2023 World Boxing Championships for allegedly failing gender eligibility tests.
During the podcast, Trump referred to Khelif as a "man" after The Undertaker emphasized the importance of "protecting" women's sports from transgender athletes in the upcoming presidential election. The Undertaker, whose real name is Mark Calaway, brought his daughter onto the show to highlight how young women are affected by this contentious issue.
Trump criticized the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports, stating, "I think it's very demeaning to women," and pointed to The Undertaker's daughter, expressing that young female athletes want to compete against other women. He recounted a boxing match at the Olympics, referring to Khelif's opponent, an Italian boxer, and described the physical intensity of the bout, suggesting it was unfair.
The former president reiterated his stance, mentioning that two transgender individuals participated in the women's category at the Olympics, a point that The Undertaker described as "shocking" and "ridiculous."
In September, Khelif responded to Elon Musk, a vocal supporter of Trump, criticizing him for leading a "cruel campaign" against her during the Olympics. Musk had echoed sentiments calling for the exclusion of men from women's sports in light of Khelif's victory over Italy's Angela Carini, the opponent Trump referenced during the podcast.