Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s daughter, Hope Walz, gained significant attention this week through a series of TikTok videos criticizing former President Donald Trump’s executive order that prohibits transgender athletes from participating in women’s and girls’ sports. In her initial video posted on Saturday, she described the order as “a dangerous precedent,” emphasizing that it poses risks to the transgender community, women, and minorities. “We are talking about human beings, and the president of the United States is targeting them for political gain,” she stated.
Hope Walz also argued that the issue of transgender athletes in women’s sports is largely exaggerated. “I have never felt unsafe around a trans person. I have felt unsafe around men. So, maybe let’s address that,” she remarked. On Wednesday, she shared a follow-up TikTok where she suggested that several of Trump’s Cabinet members have “allegations” against them, claiming that the number of Cabinet members with “credible allegations” exceeds the number of transgender athletes in high school sports. However, she did not specify which members or allegations she was referencing.
“Transphobia and transphobes are baffling to me because the argument is about protecting women. Yet, they support a felon, who along with many close associates, has credible allegations against them,” she said. “The number of people with credible allegations in the Cabinet is greater than the number of trans kids trying to play high school sports.”
In contrast, a United Nations study revealed that nearly 900 biological females have missed out on victories due to competition against transgender athletes. The report, titled “Violence against women and girls in sports,” indicated that over 600 athletes did not medal in more than 400 competitions across 29 sports, totaling over 890 medals. It stated, “The replacement of the female sports category with a mixed-sex category has led to a growing number of female athletes losing opportunities, including medals, when competing against males.”
Tim Walz has been a strong advocate for transgender and LGBTQ+ rights, particularly during Kamala Harris’s campaign in the 2024 election. The topic of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports emerged as a significant issue that influenced the election outcome, in which Harris and Walz faced a substantial defeat. A national exit poll conducted by the Concerned Women for America legislative action committee shortly after the election found that 70% of moderate voters viewed Trump’s stance on transgender boys and men participating in girls’ and women’s sports as a critical issue.
