US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday, his latest move targeting transgender people since returning to office.

“From now on, women’s sports will be for women only,” Trump said before signing the order at the White House, surrounded by dozens of children and female athletes.

“With this executive order, the war on women’s sports is over.”

Top Republicans, including U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and firebrand Congresswoman Marjorie Greene, were in the audience to watch the signing ceremony.

“We will protect the proud tradition of women’s sports, and we will not allow men to attack, injure and cheat our women and our girls,” Trump said to applause and cheers.

Trump’s order allows U.S. government agencies to deny funding to schools that allow transgender athletes to compete on women’s teams.

“If you allow men to take over women’s sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated… and your federal funding will be at risk,” Trump said.

Trump said he would push the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to change its rules on transgender athletes ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

He said he had ordered Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “make it clear” to the IOC that “we need to change everything about the Olympics and this very ridiculous thing.”

Trump added that he had instructed Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem to deny visa applications “from men who are fraudulently trying to enter the United States while trying to get into the Games and who identify themselves as female athletes.”

• Republican Trump has repeatedly targeted gender non-conforming people with a series of executive orders at the start of his second term, pushing his radical right-wing agenda.

In his inaugural address, Trump announced that the U.S. government would recognize only two genders — ending the practice of providing a third gender option in some settings.

A few days later, Trump signed an order to rid the military of what he called “transgender ideology” and effectively ban transgender troops. He also issued an order to restrict gender reassignment procedures to people under the age of 19.

Many of these measures come despite the fact that transgender people make up only a minority of the U.S. population.

During the 2024 election campaign, he repeatedly attacked the Democratic Party on the divisive issue of transgender rights, capitalizing on a broader culture war on the topic.

One of Trump’s most successful attack lines against his election rival, Kamala Harris — “Kamala Harris for them. President Trump for you” — targeted her support for transgender rights.

Trump also targeted her one-time support for gender reassignment surgery for prisoners.

His executive order on Wednesday came after the Republican-led House of Representatives passed a bill in January that severely restricts transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.

Transgender people in the United States have become more visible, raising questions about gender norms and fairness, with many conservatives rallying around women’s sports.