Sherrill silent on trans athletes in women's sports as Trump calls her out

Mikie Sherrill has not publicly clarified her position on legislation related to transgender athletes in women's sports, even as President Donald Trump publicly criticized her stance. In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump argued that Sherrill supports policies he has framed as open borders and broad transgender rights, including allowing transgender competitors in women’s sports. The post amplified a feud that has simmered online and on the campaign trail as Sherrill weighs how to respond to questions about her congressional voting record on the issue.

Fox News Digital says it has repeatedly reached out to Sherrill’s campaign for clarification on where she stands on transgender athletes in women’s sports, but the outlet has not received a response. The absence of a direct comment from Sherrill has fed a narrative among political opponents that she has not taken a firm public position on a highly charged policy issue that continues to roil national politics.

Sherrill’s voting record on bills addressing transgender athletes has drawn particular attention. She voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in 2023 when the bill was first proposed, and again this past February when the measure was reintroduced. While she opposed that explicit bill in both iterations, Sherrill has co-sponsored broader civil rights and anti-discrimination legislation in other settings. Notably, she is a co-sponsor of the Equality Act, which seeks to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in many areas of public life. She has also co-sponsored the Transgender Bill of Rights, which aims to extend protections for transgender and nonbinary people in public services and accommodations. Sherrill has described herself as an advocate for women’s athletics and has previously introduced proposals aimed at safeguarding women’s sports in the NCAA context.

In the past, Sherrill helped push the Women in NCAA Sports Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, collaborating with Rep. Maria Salazar of Florida. She also led a resolution to honor Billie Jean King with the Congressional Gold Medal, emphasizing her interest in protecting women’s athletics through policy and symbolism. Yet, even with such initiatives, she has faced sustained criticism on social media from those who say her record signals a preference for broader transgender rights in athletic competition against the interests of female athletes.

The debate over where to draw lines in sports has become a focal point in Sherrill’s political environment. Her opponent, Republican Jack Ciattarelli, has highlighted this issue in campaign messaging, arguing that Sherrill’s voting record reflects a policy direction at odds with the concerns of some New Jersey voters. A campaign graphic circulated last week by New Jersey Republicans took aim at the incumbent lawmaker over her positions on transgender athletes, a line of attack that has persisted through the spring and into the fall campaign period.

The broader political context in which Sherrill operates includes a national conversation about transgender athletes in women’s sports that polls indicate is far from settled. A January Times/Ipsos survey found that the public remains divided, though a sizable share of respondents expressed concerns about fairness in competition. The poll showed that a substantial portion of Americans—across party lines—believed that factors such as biology should be considered when determining eligibility to compete in women’s sports, though the margins varied by political affiliation. Among the Democrats surveyed, a plurality still supported inclusion in many circumstances, while Republicans tended to oppose it more uniformly. Independents represented a more mixed stance, highlighting the complexity of the issue in the current political landscape.

In parallel, Gallup has reported that roughly seven in ten Americans oppose allowing biological men to compete in women’s sports, a statistic that underscores the policy friction surrounding many proposed federal or state measures. This backdrop has been echoed in related political dynamics, including how campaigns calibrate their messages around gender and sports, a topic that has cropped up in various races beyond New Jersey.

Data from other polls and political-action groups have reinforced the sense that the issue is salient to voters who prioritize fairness and competitive integrity. A national exit poll conducted by the Concerned Women for America legislative action committee found that about 70% of moderate voters viewed Trump’s opposition to transgender athletes competing with women as an important issue—though only a minority among those voters said it was the single most important concern. The numbers illustrate how the topic can influence voter attitudes without necessarily determining behavior across the electorate.

Beyond polling, high-profile Democratic figures have publicly grappled with the policy debate. Pete Buttigieg has acknowledged concerns among parents and athletes about competitive fairness in some contexts, while Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris have signaled support for a cautious approach that weighs both inclusion and athletic integrity. In Harris’s recent book, she writes that she agrees with concerns expressed by parents and players about balancing safety, fairness and opportunity when determining who should participate on girls’ and women’s teams. The evolving stances among senior party figures reflect a broader shift in how the Democratic coalition positions itself on this issue as campaigns try to align policy positions with a diverse electoral base.

The New Jersey context also intersects with national attention to cases involving transgender athletes in competitive settings. In the state, debates have grown more visible as legal challenges and administrative decisions play out in schools and colleges. The broader conversation—across courts, legislatures, and athletic associations—has kept the issue in the public eye for longer portions of the campaign cycle. This environment shapes how legislators respond when pressed on privacy, safety, and fairness concerns raised by athletes, coaches and parents alike. The coverage around Sherrill’s stance illustrates how a single policy issue can become a litmus test for a candidate’s broader approach to civil rights and gender identity in public life.

As Sherrill and Ciattarelli continue to court voters, the question of where the candidate stands on transgender athletes in women’s sports remains a live point of contention. For Sherrill, the challenge is balancing a record that includes support for anti-discrimination protections with opposition to specific bills that would restrict participation by transgender athletes. For Ciattarelli and other opponents, the emphasis centers on a consistent, unequivocal stance that aligns with the concerns voiced by a segment of voters who worry about fairness and opportunity in women’s sports. The eventual drafting of policy and the specific language of any proposed measures will likely shape how the New Jersey race is perceived in the broader national debate over transgender rights, gender identity, and athletic competition.

In the meantime, the campaign landscape in New Jersey continues to reflect the nationwide tension between inclusion and fairness in sports, a tension that has become a recurring theme in both political discourse and public policy. As new data emerge and key races unfold, observers will watch to see whether Sherrill offers more explicit clarifications or shifts in her position—and how that may influence the balance of support among voters who care deeply about these issues.