Former President Donald Trump received a shout-out from a group of female swimmers who pushed back after their college gave a spot on the team to a biological male.

Mr. Trump invited seven members of the Roanoke College women’s swim to join him on stage at his Saturday presidential campaign rally in Salem, Virginia, saying that the students have “gotten more publicity than I have.”

The Roanoke swimmers spoke out last year after learning that the college had allowed a male-born swimmer who identified as female to move to the women’s team. The transgender student ultimately withdrew from the team amid the uproar.

“We will of course keep men out of women’s sports,” Mr. Trump told the cheering crowd. “Last year, the radical left’s gender insanity arrived right here in Salem when a man was allowed to transfer onto the Roanoke College women’s swim team.”

He said that the “brave members of the swim team stood up to the transgender fanatics.”

“Those strong, beautiful, intelligent women, they won,” Mr. Trump said. “They won. And today we’re joined by seven of the great members.”

The seven women wore matching pink T-shirts that said, “Keep [hot dog image] Out of Women’s Sports.”

🏊‍♂️ Presidential candidate @realDonaldTrump invites the Roanoke College Swim Team members & plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the NCAA to the stage in Salem, VA. They made waves standing up against the University’s decision to switch a men’s teammate to their women’s team last… pic.twitter.com/qKaJBPWTv0

— ICONS (@icons_women) November 2, 2024

“I would like to thank you, President Trump, for standing with women and promising to protect the rights of all of us,” said Roanoke women’s swim team captain Lily Mullens. “We are so lucky to have a leader like Donald Trump with common sense who knows what a strong woman is and will fight for generations of girls to come.”

Ms. Mullens also criticized President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for siding with transgender athletes.

The transgender-sports issue has split the parties, with Democrats calling for allowing scholastic athletes to compete based on gender identity, and Republicans seeking to require them to compete based on biological sex.

“As female athletes especially, we know that men have an inherent advantage over women in sports, and due to current policies, though, men are competing against women of all ages in all sports,” said Ms. Mullens. “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have advocated for and pushed for this anti-woman, sex-based discrimination to continue all over this country. And, point blank, it’s unfair.”

The seven swimmers are among the 19 current and former female collegiate athletes who have sued the NCAA over its transgender policy, a lawsuit being funded by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, or ICONS.