Q: How important Congress to pass legislation to protect Title IX? Leavitt: EO upholds the promise

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt welcomed former ESPN SportsCenter host Sage Steele to the White House new media seat and addressed Trump’s women’s sports executive order. Leavitt announced 12,000+ new media submissions received. Sage Steele’s introduction: “We are honored to welcome her to the briefing room today. She will be joining the president at the big EO signing later this afternoon.” Steele asked: “The House already passed the protection of women and girls in sports act, which is a really big step for women and girls. So far, the Senate, as we know, has not wanted to vote. We all know executive orders can be overturned. So I’m wondering how important it is to the president to get Congress to bring this to pass legislation.” Leavitt: “It’s incredibly important that Congress immediately acts on this priority. I think the president is really setting the tone, making this a very immediate priority for this administration.” Leavitt detailed executive order: “The executive order that the president will be signing later this afternoon, as I said, upholds the promise of Title IX. It also will require the DOJ to abide by the nationwide previous administration’s illegal Title IX rewrite that would have dissolved single-sex spaces and opportunities. It also requires immediate action, including enforcement actions against schools and athletic associations comprised of schools that deny women single-sex sports in single-sex locker rooms.” Leavitt announced convening: “The executive order also calls for the convening of private sporting bodies in the White House. We want them to come to this campus so the president can hear in person the stories of female athletes who have suffered lifelong injuries, who have been silenced and forced to shower with men and compete with men on athletic fields across the country.” Leavitt on polling: “This is a wildly popular position with the American people. In fact, there was a new poll recently that showed the overwhelming majority of Democrats also support keeping biological men out of women’s sports.”

12,000 Submissions

“Submissions from individuals across the country interested in participating in our new media seat at a future briefing continue to flood in. We are at more than 12,000 and counting.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Cross-country interest
• New media seat
• 12,000+ submissions
• Counting framework
• Growing demand

The new media framework:

• Trump administration innovation
• Legacy media challenge
• Independent voices
• Digital creators
• Podcast hosts

“If you’re watching right now and are interested, you can continue to apply on our new media website, whitehouse.gov, slash new media.”

The application framework:

• White House website
• /new media URL
• Ongoing framework
• Public engagement
• Media expansion

Sage Steele Welcome

“And in the seat today, we have a longtime national television broadcaster. I’m sure many of you recognized her when she came in, Sage Steel, who is now the host of an incredibly successful podcast, The Sage Steel Show on YouTube and all podcast platforms.”

Sage Steele:

• Former ESPN anchor
• SportsCenter host 2007-2023
• First Amendment departure
• Podcast host
• Conservative voice

The framework:

• Longtime broadcaster
• Successful podcast
• YouTube framework
• Platform diverse
• Established reputation

ESPN Background

“And previously, Sage was a fixture at ESPN from 2007 to 2023, primarily hosting Sports Center, which we all know well, before leaving the company to exercise her First Amendment rights more freely.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• ESPN 2007-2023
• 16-year tenure
• SportsCenter primarily
• Well-known framework
• First Amendment departure

The Sage Steele-ESPN:

• Various controversies
• Suspension history
• Politics discussion
• Departure 2023
• Podcast launch

“We are honored to welcome her to the briefing room today. She will be joining the president at the big EO signing later this afternoon. I know many of you will be there as well.”

The framework:

• Honored welcome
• EO signing attendance
• Media framework
• Political framework
• Connection framework

Different Perspective

“Why don’t you kick us off on this very exciting day for women and girls across the country? Thank you for joining us.”

Leavitt framework:

• Kick off question
• Exciting day framework
• Women and girls
• Across country
• Thanks framework

“It is exciting and Caroline, thank you for welcoming people like me with a little bit of a different perspective, different background in this seat. It really does mean a lot. Thank you.”

Sage Steele’s framework:

• Exciting framework
• Thanks Caroline
• Different perspective
• Different background
• Means a lot
• Appreciation

Congress Legislation Question

“Obviously, the House already passed the protection of women and girls in sports app, which is a really big step for women and girls. So far, the Senate, as we know, has not wanted to vote.”

Steele’s framework:

• House passed bill
• Big step framework
• Senate holding
• Not wanting vote
• Legislative framework

The legislation framework:

• Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act
• House passed
• Senate filibuster framework
• 60 votes needed
• Democrats blocking

“We all know executive orders can be overturned. So I’m wondering how important it is to the president to get Congress to bring this to pass legislation. So there are no instances like the past administration that really tried to destroy.”

Steele’s framework:

• Executive orders overturnable
• Congress permanent
• Trump priority question
• Past administration framework
• Permanent legislation

Incredibly Important

“It’s incredibly important that Congress immediately acts on this priority.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Incredibly important
• Congress immediate action
• Priority framework
• Political pressure
• Legislative framework

“I think the president is really setting the tone, making this a very immediate priority for this administration, just as he promised to do on the campaign trail.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Trump tone-setting
• Immediate priority
• Campaign promise
• Delivery framework
• Administrative

Executive Order Details

“And I’d like to get into the executive order a little bit, because it is the news of the day here at the White House, and talk about what this executive action will actually do.”

Leavitt framework:

• Executive order details
• News of day
• White House framework
• Executive action explanation
• Policy framework

“So the executive order that the president will be signing later this afternoon, as I said, upholds the promise of Title IX.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Afternoon signing
• Upholds Title IX
• Promise framework
• Title IX original intent
• Legal framework

DOJ Rewrite Reversal

“It also will require the DOJ to abide by the nationwide previous administration’s illegal Title IX rewrite that would have dissolved single-sex spaces and opportunities.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• DOJ requirement
• Previous administration rewrite
• Illegal characterization
• Single-sex spaces dissolved
• Opportunities framework

The Biden Title IX rewrite:

• 2024 regulations
• Gender identity inclusion
• Various challenges
• Legal battles
• Court injunctions

The reversal framework:

• Previous policy illegal
• DOJ enforcement
• Single-sex preservation
• Opportunities restored
• Framework reset

Enforcement Actions

“It also requires immediate action, including enforcement actions against schools and athletic associations comprised of schools that deny women single-sex sports in single-sex locker rooms.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Immediate action
• Enforcement actions
• Schools targeted
• Athletic associations
• Single-sex sports
• Single-sex locker rooms

The enforcement framework:

• Federal investigations
• Title IX compliance
• Funding consequences
• Legal action
• Comprehensive framework

Private Sporting Bodies

“The executive order also calls for the convening of private sporting bodies in the White House.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Private sporting bodies
• White House convening
• Executive order framework
• Institutional framework
• Pressure framework

The private sporting bodies:

• NCAA
• NFL, NBA, MLB
• Various leagues
• Athletic associations
• Amateur organizations

“We want them to come to this campus so the president can hear in person the stories of female athletes who have suffered lifelong injuries, who have been silenced and forced to shower with men and compete with men on athletic fields across the country.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Come to campus
• Stories heard in person
• Lifelong injuries
• Silenced framework
• Shower with men
• Compete with men

Female Athletes Present

“Many of those women will be at the White House today. I encourage all of you in the media to actually talk to them to hear their stories.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Female athletes present
• White House today
• Media encouraged
• Talk to them
• Hear stories
• Authentic framework

The ceremony framework:

• Affected athletes invited
• Personal stories
• Media access
• Political framework
• Authentic voices

Wildly Popular

“And I would also just add one more thing. This is a wildly popular position with the American people.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• One more thing
• Wildly popular
• American people
• Polling framework
• Consensus framework

“In fact, there was a new poll recently that showed the overwhelming majority of Democrats also support keeping biological men out of women’s sports.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• New poll
• Overwhelming majority
• Democrats too
• Keeping biological men out
• Bipartisan framework

The polling framework:

• ~70% oppose transgender women in women’s sports
• Democrats divided
• Independents opposed
• Republicans overwhelmingly opposed
• Popular position

3 Oclock Signing

“And so I know the president is very excited about the bill signing that will take place at 3 o’clock this afternoon. You will hear from him more on that later, and we look forward to seeing you there, Sage. So thank you.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• 3 o’clock signing
• Presidential excitement
• More later
• Sage attendance
• Thank you framework

Trump Women’s Sports Framework

The executive order provisions:

Immediate:

• Title IX promise upheld
• DOJ enforcement
• Biden rewrite reversed
• Single-sex preserved
• Legal framework

Short-term:

• School investigations
• Funding consequences
• Athletic associations pressure
• Compliance demands
• Various actions

Long-term:

• Private sporting convening
• Comprehensive framework
• IOC engagement
• 2028 Olympics framework
• Policy permanence

Sage Steele Framework

The Sage Steele significance:

ESPN career:

• Longtime anchor
• Diverse sports coverage
• Various controversies
• Political positions
• Departure framework

Post-ESPN:

• Podcast success
• Conservative audience
• Various media
• Political engagement
• New media framework

White House framework:

• New media seat
• Different perspective
• Sports focus
• Political bridge
• Framework significant

Title IX Framework

The Title IX framework:

Original 1972:

• Sex discrimination prohibition
• Educational equity
• Federal funding condition
• Landmark law
• Various framework

Sports impact:

• Women’s sports growth
• Participation rates
• Scholarship opportunities
• Competitive framework
• Historic success

Current framework:

• Trump reinterpretation
• Biological sex focus
• Single-sex preservation
• Enforcement
• Policy direction

Political Framework

The legislation landscape:

House passage:

• Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act
• Republican majority
• Various Democrat support
• Bipartisan framework
• Moved forward

Senate challenges:

• 60-vote filibuster
• Democrat opposition majority
• Political framework
• Compromise needed
• Stuck currently

Executive action:

• Trump circumvention
• Federal funding leverage
• Policy implementation
• Legal challenges expected
• Framework strong

Female Athletes Movement

The female athletes framework:

Leading voices:

• Riley Gaines (UKY swimmer)
• Paula Scanlan (UPenn swimmer)
• Various collegiate athletes
• High school athletes
• Political engagement

Concerns raised:

• Competitive fairness
• Physical safety
• Locker room privacy
• Scholarship loss
• Position displacement

White House engagement:

• Personal stories
• Media access
• Political platform
• Policy framework
• Popular support

Significance

The briefing captured:

1. 12,000 new media submissions: Expanding framework
2. Sage Steele welcomed: ESPN-to-new-media bridge
3. Congress action urged: Immediate priority
4. Executive order details: DOJ enforcement, convening
5. Female athletes stories: White House platform
6. Wildly popular: Bipartisan support polling
7. 3 o’clock signing: Same-day framework

Leavitt’s Congress urgency framework acknowledged executive order vulnerability. Bill passage would permanent; Trump priority making this immediate.

The DOJ rewrite reversal framework captured specific policy action. Previous administration’s Title IX reinterpretation declared illegal and reversed.

The private sporting bodies convening framework represented comprehensive approach. Not just federal schools but comprehensive athletic ecosystem engagement.

The female athletes at White House framework provided authentic voices. Personal stories, injuries, exclusion — political framework supported by affected individuals.

Key Takeaways

• Leavitt on Congress: “It’s incredibly important that Congress immediately acts on this priority. I think the president is really setting the tone, making this a very immediate priority for this administration, just as he promised to do on the campaign trail.”
• Leavitt on executive order: “The executive order that the president will be signing later this afternoon upholds the promise of Title IX. It also will require the DOJ to abide by the nationwide previous administration’s illegal Title IX rewrite that would have dissolved single-sex spaces and opportunities. It also requires immediate action, including enforcement actions against schools and athletic associations comprised of schools that deny women single-sex sports in single-sex locker rooms.”
• Leavitt on convening: “The executive order also calls for the convening of private sporting bodies in the White House. We want them to come to this campus so the president can hear in person the stories of female athletes who have suffered lifelong injuries, who have been silenced and forced to shower with men and compete with men on athletic fields across the country.”
• Leavitt on popularity: “This is a wildly popular position with the American people. In fact, there was a new poll recently that showed the overwhelming majority of Democrats also support keeping biological men out of women’s sports.”
• Steele on Senate: “The House already passed the protection of women and girls in sports act, which is a really big step for women and girls. So far, the Senate, as we know, has not wanted to vote. We all know executive orders can be overturned. So I’m wondering how important it is to the president to get Congress to bring this to pass legislation.”