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Trump Election Day ad includes debunked claim about Olympic boxer
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Trump Election Day ad includes debunked claim about Olympic boxer

Former President Donald Trump kicked off Election Day by releasing a campaign ad highlighting a debunked claim about Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif.

The Algerian athlete, who took home a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, was caught up in a misinformation campaign after rumors began that she was a transgender woman, rumors that Trump embraced.

“They were men. “They switched to women and took part in boxing.” Trump mentioned Khelif and another Olympian, Li Yu-ting, in August.

According to USA Today, “Khelif was born a woman, raised a woman, and competed in women’s boxing for years with the permission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC had initially stated that he had high testosterone levels, which can occur naturally in women, and had previously been disqualified from the 2023 world championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) for gender error. IBA no longer recognized by the international boxing federation over concerns about his management and ethics.

Despite the rumors being debunked multiple times, Trump has once again begun fanning the flames.

In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday morning, part of Trump’s ad includes an image of Khelif at the Olympics, with the voiceover stating: “Men can beat women and win medals.”

For a complete comparison, the first post of Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris TikTok this morning He encouraged Americans to vote.

“Today is Election Day. When we vote, we win,” the text of the video says. Scenes from Harris’ campaign were played behind the text of Beyoncé’s song “Freedom.”