'You have to rely on the market': Trump shoots down 'equitable pay' argument for women's sports

President Donald Trump discredited the idea that women should be paid the same as men in sports, particularly in reference to the WNBA, where he said contracts were already in place.

During an interview on the "Let's Go!" podcast with hosts Jim Gray and legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick, Trump was asked about "equitable pay" in women's sports.

"Should there be more support, or supportive measures, to ensure equitable pay across sports?" Gray asked, before referring to WNBA star Caitlin Clark.

"You'd like to do that, but it's a very complicated thing," Trump replied, calling Clark a "phenomenon" in her sport.

While the former president compared Clark to Tiger Woods, he said he's seen new stars get locked into entry-level contracts many times and play them out until they get rewarded.

"It sounds unfair, but somebody agrees to a contract. Hopefully she'll keep it going and she'll make a lot of money," he continued.

"Maybe you could give her a bonus," Trump suggested for Clark.

Host Gray then referred to Clark's massive television ratings, which eclipsed typical NBA viewership many times throughout 2024.

"You have to rely on the market," Trump rebuffed. "You can't just say 'we'll break this contract because this person did well.'"

Coach Belichick pushed Trump for his opinion on name, image, and likeness payments for NCAA athletes and wondered if there is a way to strike a balance between profit and willingness to play.

Trump responded by saying he was "surprised that the governing body didn't appeal" NIL payments more vehemently.

"I don't know that they appealed it at all," Trump laughed.

"Will college sports, as we know it, look the same in the next five to 10 years?" Belichick then asked.

"No, not really. ... It's not going to be the same," Trump predicted.

"You'll probably have some schools go to the top," he added, noting some of the more "wealthy schools" will likely do very well.

Trump went to say that inevitably the NCAA could act as a different professional sports league, with "some very rich athletes."

Read more about NIL payments in this Blaze News original..

Former President Donald Trump described the NFL's new Guardian Caps as "weird."Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images

Still talking about football, the Republican commented on Guardian Caps, the exterior padding the NFL has allowed on players' helmets in the 2024 season.

"That thing looks weird!" Trump remarked, laughing with the hosts. He said he wasn't sure about the preventive aspects of the equipment, pointing out that there are still violent clashes between players.

"[It's] still a very violent game," he continued. "That's why people watch it. It's pretty risky, but you don't have to let your child play."

Trump also expressed disdain for the NFL's new kickoff rules, while adding that middle-class Americans are being "priced out" of sporting events.

"A fan will buy one ticket, for one game, sometimes a nothing game, and that's all they can afford," Trump claimed.

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