President Donald Trump praised Sophie Cunningham for her looks, which he suggested would boost a sports team’s attendance during a rally in Youngstown, Ohio on Monday night.
While addressing transgender athletes, Trump mentioned the Fever guard, who became a lightning rod across the league after she was outspoken about her opposition to transgender athletes playing in women’s sports.
Trump asked former Buccaneers and Raiders coach Jon Gruden, who was in the crowd, if he ever was “desperate” to have a woman on one of his championship teams. He mentioned seeing female kickers, leading him to mention Cunningham’s name, which was met by cheers.
Cunningham previously kicked for her high school football team sometimes in addition to playing basketball.
“You have a lot of men wanting to go and watch her. She’s beautiful,” Trump said. “You’re not allowed to say that anymore, however, as a politician. Please, please, let me take it back. Anytime a politician says a woman is beautiful, that’s generally the end of his political career in the modern-day politic world.
“But Sophie is a beautiful young woman. You probably wouldn’t mind her on the team not to help you with points, but to help you with attendance. The attendance would be great.”
The crowd laughed in response.
Cunningham’s season is over as the Fever were knocked out of the first round of the WNBA playoffs by the Aces in three games.
She found herself frequently in the headlines this season, especially after she voiced her support for barring transgender athletes from women’s sports in an ESPN profile that was published in July.
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’” she said in the interview. “I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.
“I’m very much in the middle. I agree with things on both sides, disagree with things on both sides. And that’s all I’ve ever said about my political beliefs. But people love to assume.”
The 30-year-old’s comments, which she double and tripled down on, sparked debate across the WNBA between players, coaches and fans.
It also brought about protests organized by fans at WNBA games, that prompted the league to make a statement.
Cunningham is an unrestricted free agent this offseason after averaging 7.9 points per game, which is her lowest output in the past five seasons.
It was her second season in Indiana and her eighth in the league.
The Missouri product was drafted as the 13th overall pick by the Mercury in the 2019 draft.
