Donald Trump asked members of the Juventus team for their views on transgender players in football during an awkward moment in the White House.
Some players from the Italian football team were stood behind the president as he spoke to press during a bizarre White House visit.
Juventus were in Washington for the opening game of their Club World Cup campaign, and a selection of players, coaches and executives went to the White House for an Oval Office visit.
This resulted in the bizarre scenario of them standing behind Trump as he spoke to the press, discussing a range of topics, including the possibility of US strikes on Iran.
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At one point, Trump turned around and asked the Juve players for their views on transgender women in sport. Earlier this year, the president signed an executive order banning transgender participants from women’s sports.
He asked the players behind him: “Could a woman make your team, fellas?”
A number of the players could be seen nervously smiling and simply nodding their heads, and refused to answer.
When he repeated the question, Juventus’s general manager, Damien Comolli, simply said the club had a “very good women’s team.”
This prompted Trump to say “But they should be playing with women,” a statement that Comolli refused to acknowledge.
You can watch the awkward exchange below.