Former U.S. Olympic cyclist Inga Thompson admitted in a recent interview that despite being a lifelong Democrat, she was optimistic about it. Donald Trump The next presidency because of his stance on protecting women and girls in sports.
Trump's pledge to end transgender inclusion in women's sports has been a major sticking point in his campaign. Pro-Trump campaign ads during the election season depicted Vice President Kamala Harris as being in the corner for transgender women running against biological women. Trump even called for transgender inclusion in women's sports Policies are “so far out”.
At this point Thompson found herself supporting him.
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Inga Thompson trains to participate in the women's road race at the World Cycling Championships in September 1986 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (David Madison/Getty Images)
“I don't want my friend to hear this, because we're Democrats,” she said. “I hated Trump because I came from Reno, Nevada, near the casinos.” Telegraph. “I grew up with a lot of people who were gamers, and we hated Trump. I knew people who would make deals with him, and then he would back down. The first time he ran for office, I would make fun of him. . . .
“This time, my position is: If he will protect women, I will vote for him.” “This is the biggest threat to women I can think of in my generation, and I must vote for women.”
Thompson is one of the former athletes who has led the charge to keep biological males out of women's sports. These views cost her a job as a manager at a cycling team after she called on cyclists to protest the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)'s transgender athlete policy in 2023.
Thompson told the newspaper she was upset with Democrats for supporting transgender inclusion in women's sports.
“Didn't they learn their lesson at the Olympics about how deaf they are, how blind they are to what they're doing to women?” she said. “I'm angry at the party, being a Democrat, because they keep throwing women under the bus. It would be easy for them to let common sense back in. But they won't. It's the straw that breaks the camel's back.” “.
From left, Jenny Longo of France, Valérie Simonet of France, and Inga Thompson of the United States celebrate on the podium after the Vail Criterium stage of the Coors International Cycling Classic on August 11, 1985, in Vail, Colorado. (David Madison/Getty Images)
Thompson said she didn't think it was a “right-wing, Republican issue.” She said all she and Democrats like her want is “balance.”
She added: “None of us are extremists, we just stick to common sense. After their response to the law protecting women in sports, they lost me forever. And here you realize that the party has lost the plot.”
Thompson isn't the only Democrat who opposes this particular policy. New York Times/Ipsos poll Released over the weekend It found that a majority of Democrats also don't believe transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in women's sports.
“Thinking about transgender athletes — that is, athletes who were male at birth but currently identify as female — do you think they should or should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports?” asked the poll.
Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports.
Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democratic or leaned Democratic, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.
Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Some of this was seen in the House of Representatives Earlier on this mountainh when two Democrats voted alongside Republican lawmakers to ban male athletes from participating on girls' school sports teams.
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The Protecting Women and Girls in Sports Act, led by Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., would amend federal law to specify that student athletes must participate on school sports teams that match their sex at birth.
The bill will go to the Senate.
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