President Donald Trump hosted players from the Juventus soccer team at the White House on Wednesday, asking their opinions on transgender women in sports and discussing the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
The meeting came ahead of the Italian club’s first match of the Club World Cup against Emirati team Al-Ain, which they ultimately won 5-0. The tournament is taking place across the United States, with the final being played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13.
While talking to reporters about the issue of trans athletes, Trump turned to the players, asking, “Could a woman make your team, fellas?” In response, Juventus teammates, including American players Timothy Weah and Weston McKennie, awkwardly smiled and shrugged without giving an answer.
The President then turned to the club’s general manager Damien Comolli, asking the same question. In response, Comolli said, “We have a very good women’s team.” The team won the latest Italian league championship.
In February, Trump signed an Executive Order banning transgender athletes from playing in women’s sports.
Weah spoke about the interaction afterwards, saying he was caught by surprise over the “weird” moment. “I was kind of like, I just want to play football … They just told us that we have to go, and I had no choice but to go. So I guess it was a cool experience, obviously being in the White House as a first time… But I’m not one for the politics, so it wasn’t that exciting,” he said.
The U.S. forward mentioned Trump’s comments on the conflict between Israel and Iran, which also took place during the visit.
The President also spoke to reporters about his feud with Tucker Carlson and their latest disagreements about the conflict. With Juventus players behind him, Trump said: “I asked Tucker, ‘Are you OK with nuclear weapons being in the hands of Iran?’ and he sort of didn’t like that.
“Maybe it [the conflict] will end very quickly, but there’s no way that you can allow, whether you fight or not, you can allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon because the entire world will blow up,” Trump continued.
Juventus News Live, a fan-operated site for updates on the team, reacted to the meeting, writing on social media: “Juventus squad in the background as Trump answers questions on Iran….. what a time to be alive.”
Trump has been regularly involved with engagements regarding the Club World Cup. In March, the President unveiled the tournament’s new trophy alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Trump also announced a special task force for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States alongside Mexico and Canada.
Since then, the trophy has been on display a number of times during press conferences and gatherings in the Oval Office, including on Elon Musk’s last day working in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
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