Washington, D.C. – In a controversial and theatrically charged commencement address at the University of Alabama, former U.S. President Donald Trump once again ignited debate over transgender participation in sports — this time through a mock impersonation of a transgender weightlifter, which he admitted displeased his wife, Melania Trump.
Speaking to a crowd of over 6,000 graduates, families, and faculty in Tuscaloosa on Thursday night, Trump veered sharply from traditional graduation themes and launched into what sounded more like a campaign rally. His remarks covered a range of familiar topics: claims of unfairness in sports, attacks on political rivals, and boasts of renewed support from tech industry elites.
“They all hated me in my first term, and now they’re kissing my a**” ,he declared to cheers.
Trump’s Weightlifting Impersonation Sparks Reactions
The centerpiece of Trump’s remarks was a story about a women’s weightlifting record, which he said stood unbroken for 18 years until it was allegedly “shattered” by a transgender woman. He dramatized the scenario, using exaggerated vocalizations and body language to mock the effort of a cisgender female competitor in contrast to the transgender athlete.
“Should I do it or not”? he asked, teasing the impression. “All right, I’m in trouble when I get home, but that’s ok. What the hell? I’ve been in lots of trouble before”.
As he performed the routine, mimicking a young woman’s struggle to lift weights with phrases like “Eeeee! Ugh.” the crowd erupted in laughter. Trump acknowledged that Melania Trump disapproves of the act:
“You know, my wife gets very upset when I do this. She says it’s not presidential. I said, ‘Yeah, but people like it”!
He joked that if he faced backlash, he’d blame the university for encouraging him:
“So now that I’m in trouble with my wife, I’m gonna blame the University of Alabama for making me do it”!
Familiar Themes, Familiar Crowd
Trump’s unscripted storytelling and performance found a receptive audience in deep-red Alabama, a state that overwhelmingly supported him in all three of his presidential campaigns. His speech mixed personal anecdotes, cultural critiques, and political jabs — branding the past four years under President Biden as “an aberration” in American history.
“You’re the first graduating class of the golden age of America” ,Trump told the graduates, after asserting that the U.S. had been “ripped off” before he took office in 2016.
Trump’s remarks, while standard in tone for his base, are expected to draw further scrutiny from LGBTQ+ rights advocates, who have consistently opposed his stance on transgender inclusion in sports and broader societal issues.
While the event was intended to celebrate academic achievement, the address served as yet another platform for Trump’s ongoing culture war rhetoric, with transgender athletes again in the crosshairs — and his impressions once more at the center of controversy.
