President Donald Trump is prepared to punish states that refuse to comply with a potential U.S. Supreme Court ruling banning transgender biological males from competing in women’s and girls’ sports, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who said the Trump administration will not allow defiance of federal law.
🚨 JUST IN: Karoline Leavitt just announced the Trump administration will begin PROSECUTING state officials who violate federal law and allow men in women’s sports
YES! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sMNGm2AJx4
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) April 28, 2025
Karoline Leavitt made the remarks after being asked directly by conservative activist and former collegiate swimmer and girls sports advocate Riley Gaines whether the Trump administration would act against states that ignore a Supreme Court decision protecting women’s sports.
“Absolutely,” Leavitt responded.
Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration has already taken action against states and institutions that refuse to follow the president’s directives. “The administration has taken action on a number of fronts against these states who are failing to uphold the president’s executive orders and this administration’s policy of simply protecting women and women’s sports and women’s private spaces,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt added that the White House and Trump have confronted major universities as well. “We’ve gone to the mat with large universities in this country, as well, to try to fight for what’s right and what’s just for women in this country,” she said.
🚨 HOLY SMOKES. SCOTUS Justice Sam Alito asks ACLU lawyer “what is a man and a woman?” and they DON’T HAVE A DEFINITION.
Alito’s response is perfect.
ALITO: What does it mean to be a man or woman?
ACLU: We do not have a definition for the Court.
ALITO: How can a court… pic.twitter.com/E5C9zX35NN
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 13, 2026
She framed the position of President Trump as rooted in basic reality rather than ideology. “I think the president speaks on common sense on this issue, that women’s sports and private spaces should be protected and that there are two genders, there are two sexes — that is not something we should be afraid to say in this country,” Karoline Leavitt said.
Leavitt’s comments came as the Supreme Court heard opening arguments this week in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J., two closely watched cases addressing whether states have the constitutional authority to bar biological males from women’s and girls’ athletic teams.
The transgender sports cases stem from laws passed in Idaho and West Virginia, two of more than 24 Republican-led states that enacted restrictions aimed at preserving female-only sports categories. Lower courts previously ruled in favor of transgender athletes – biological males, who challenged those bans, setting up the high-stakes showdown now before the justices and Trump.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the weaknesses in the arguments supporting men competing in women’s sports were laid bare in a tense exchange from the bench. Samuel Alito pressed ACLU attorney Joshua Block to explain the biological differences between boys and girls in the context of athletics, focusing on fairness in female sports categories.
“What is the biological difference between a boy and a girl?” Justice Alito asked.
Block attempted to shift the discussion toward gender identity and social considerations, arguing the issue was “more complicated” than biology alone.
Samuel Alito pressed again, asking whether there was a physical distinction that mattered in competitive sports, particularly where strength, speed, and endurance are involved.
“I’m not prepared to give a simple definition,” Joshua Block replied.
The exchange quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the transgender athletes women and girl’s sports hearing. Critics argue it underscores the inability of transgender athlete advocates to articulate a biological standard while asking courts to dismantle sex-based sports protections.
American women fought for Title IX! Now they’re being told to sit down and be quiet. It’s time to stop sacrificing women and girls in sports for the Left’s political comfort.
My guest @Riley_Gaines_ goes further— lighting up Democrats as the US Supreme Court hears/decides two… pic.twitter.com/ODCMhfljML
— HARRISFAULKNER (@HARRISFAULKNER) January 13, 2026
Following the transgender athletes arguments, many court watchers and legal analysts said the justices appeared skeptical of claims that states lack the authority to protect women’s sports. The consensus among pundits is that the Supreme Court is likely to uphold state laws supported by Trump, barring biological males from girls’ and women’s athletic teams.
Karoline Leavitt pointed to the hearing as further justification for the Trump administration’s firm stance, noting that female athletes are losing championships, records, scholarships, and roster spots when biological males are allowed to compete against them.
If the Supreme Court issues a ruling backing state bans, Leavitt made clear the Trump administration will treat compliance as mandatory. States that refuse to follow the law, Karoline Leavitt said, should expect consequences.
