Martina Navratilova slams Donald Trump Jr for sharing Michelle Obama trans conspiracy meme

Lesbian tennis legend Martina Navratilova has hit out at Donald Trump Jr, for sharing for sharing a trans conspiracy meme targeting Michelle Obama. 

Navratilova, who is a vocal opponent of trans inclusion in sport and in November said that a trans woman “cannot be a lesbian”, jumped to defend Obama after the eldest son of former president Donald Trump spread rumours about her online. 

The meme, which is no longer live on his feed, was posted by Trump Jr to Instagram on Transgender Day of Visibility (31 March). It claimed that the former first lady is transgender and that her husband, 44th president Barak Obama, is gay. 

Black women have often been targeted with comments about masculinity, which are considered to be racist and discriminatory. In 2020, conspiracy theorist and Infowars host Alex Jones – who was found to have defamed the families of victims of the Sandy Hook school shootings – claimed he had evidence that the former first lady was transgender.

In 2020, Trump Jr, who has a history of making offensive comments about trans people, resorted to transphobia during his father’s ultimately failed presidential campaign.

Navratilova, who won nine Wimbledon and four US Open singles titles, also took X to condemn Trump Jr’s post, simply writing: “Unfu**ing believable.” 

Trump Jr has a history of sharing offensive posts about Michelle Obama: In February he shared to Instagram a meme depicting a Black male American football player bearing the caption: “I found this rare Michelle Obama rookie card”.

And almost exactly a year ago, he ranted about what he called the “trans mafia”, for controlling “everything”.

In January, he, along with other right-wing influencers, spread misinformation about recent mass shooters identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community. 

• Nov 29 2023

56 celebrities you didn’t know are gay, bisexual or lesbian