Religious College Swim Team Throws Support Behind Trump
Seven members of the Roanoke College women’s swim team publicly endorsed former President Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 election, citing his pledge to “keep men out of women’s sports.” This endorsement came during a rally in Salem, Virginia, where Trump reiterated his stance on protecting women’s sports from what he described as the “gender insanity” promoted by the Left. He specifically referenced an incident involving a male athlete joining the women’s swim team at Roanoke College, criticizing the decision and thanking the swim team members for standing up against it.
During the rally, team captain Lily Mullens spoke out about the physical advantages that men have in sports, stressing that current policies allowing men to compete in women’s sports were unfair. She also took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing her of supporting what Mullens considered anti-woman policies that promote sex-based discrimination. Mullens expressed gratitude to Trump for supporting women’s rights in sports and pledged that his leadership would protect future generations of girls.
After the speech, each of the seven swimmers introduced themselves before leaving the stage. Roanoke College President Frank Shushok responded to the event by emphasizing that the athletes were expressing personal views and that the college was unaware of their participation. He reminded the public of the college’s commitment to values of respect, kindness, and inclusion, which are rooted in its affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
This endorsement from the Roanoke College swim team comes amid ongoing debates over trans-identified athletes competing in women’s sports. The controversy gained national attention in 2022 when Lia (Will) Thomas, a trans woman, broke records in women’s swimming after competing on the University of Pennsylvania’s women’s team. This situation has spurred several states to pass laws requiring athletes to compete according to their biological sex, with 26 states implementing such regulations.
Under the Biden administration, the U.S. Department of Education has interpreted Title IX’s prohibition on sex discrimination to also apply to gender identity, which has led to concerns that trans women might be allowed to compete in women’s sports in schools receiving federal funding. In contrast, Trump has promised to take action at the federal level to prevent such participation, a stance he made clear as early as 2023.