Members of the Roanoke College women’s swimming team who spoke up against a transgender athlete trying to join the team last year were invited on stage at Donald Trump’s rally in Salem, Virginia, Saturday.
The team wore shirts that said “Keep [hot dogs] out of women’s sports.”
Prior to bringing them up on stage, Trump explained the backstory of when a former member of the men’s swim team at the school attempted to join the women’s squad last year.
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Lily Mullens of the Roanoke College women’s swim team prepares to speak at a campaign rally for former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, Saturday Nov. 2, 2024, in Salem, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
“Last year, the radical left’s gender insanity arrived right here in Salem when a man was allowed to transfer onto the Roanoke College’s women’s swim team,” Trump said. “I just met them backstage. They’re great swimmers. … The brave members of the swim team stood up to the transgender fanatics, something new in our country.”
After Trump’s introduction, a team captain, Lily Mullens, spoke.
“Thank you so much, President Trump. As female athletes especially, we know that men have an inherent advantage over women in sports, and due to current policies, though, men are competing against women of all ages in all sports,” Mullens said.
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have advocated for and pushed for this anti-woman, sex-based discrimination to continue all over this country. And point-blank, it’s unfair.
“So, I would like to thank you, President Trump, for standing with women and promising to protect the rights of all of us. We are so lucky to have a leader like Donald Trump — with common sense — who knows what a strong woman is and will fight for generations of girls to come.”
Trump “promise[d] to keep men out of women’s sports” at the rally.
Members of the Roanoke College women’s swim team attend a press conference. (OutKick)
Members of the team spoke at a press conference defending their stance just days after the athlete withdrew a request to join the team last year.
“The situation we’re seeing unfold at Roanoke College is virtually the exact same that my teammates and competitors went through in regard to Lia Thomas,” Riley Gaines said at the time. “The difference is these girls have found their voice a lot sooner and through unity. This indicates that the tide is starting to turn. Courage is contagious, and there is strength in numbers. I’m so proud and grateful for these girls and their fight to defend common sense.”
The appearance on the Trump stage occurred just hours after Blaire Fleming, a transgender member of the San Jose State women’s volleyball team, played against the University of New Mexico. Five schools have forfeited against SJSU due to Fleming’s presence on the team.
Kate Pearson, 19, Lily Mullens, 20, and Bailey Gallagher, 21, the captains of the sophomore, junior and senior squads. (Outkick)
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OutKick has since reported that SJSU suspended an assistant coach who spoke out against Fleming.
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