Biden faces backlash over International Women’s Day post for record on trans athletes

Former President Joe Biden released a post on social media on Saturday to commemorate International Women’s Day, leaving many to use it as an opportunity to criticize him for his administration’s policies that negatively affected women’s sports.

"Like so many of you, I'm celebrating the incredible women in my life today. International Women's Day is a time to recognize the achievements of women and girls everywhere and recommit our efforts to advance dignity, opportunity, and equality for all. When women and girls succeed, communities, economies, and democracies succeed," Biden wrote in a post on X.

Biden’s post praised women’s achievements and called for equality, but critics highlighted his executive order permitting transgender athletes in women’s sports and efforts to change Title IX protections. Texas Congressman Brandon Gill responded by sharing a vote tally showing 203 Democrats opposed a bill protecting women’s sports.

The sportswear brand XX-XY Athletics, which advocates for female athletes also called out Biden, stating, “You unequivocally eroded the rights of all women. Please.”

The issue of transgender athletes was seen as a losing one for Democrats during the 2024 election. A national exit poll by the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee found that 70 percent of moderate voters viewed "Donald Trump’s opposition to transgender boys and men playing girls' and women’s sports and of transgender boys and men using girls' and women’s bathrooms" as important to them, Fox News reported.

Since taking office, President Trump has signed an executive order barring transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. The order has faced resistance from Democrat-led states, some of which have vowed not to comply. Trump has also officially declared March 2025 as Women’s History Month.