White House Photo of Georgia Women's Tennis Team Sparks Backlash Over Positioning

A White House photo celebrating a champion women's sports team has drawn backlash due to the positioning of Donald Trump and a group of men, who overshadowed the female athletes by lining up in front of them. The University of Georgia women's tennis team was one of several collegiate teams to visit the White House on Tuesday to mark a recent championship win. In a photo shared by press aide Margo Martin, Donald Trump and five Georgia staffers and coaches took up the front row of a stage setup, with 11 women standing in the background on a riser. The men standing alongside Trump were, from left to right: Georgia deputy athletic director Ford Williams, athletic director Josh Brooks, head coach Drake Bernstein, associate head coach Jarryd Chaplin and assistant coach Will Reynolds. "A photo is worth a thousand words …" former tennis star Martina Navratilova wrote on X. "Who approved this photo?" one commenter wrote. "Me when I definitely respect women's sports teams: what if we put them behind us so you can barely see them," another said. In a video shared by Martin, Trump approaches the group and shakes the hands of the five men, but does not do the same to the women. The Georgia team shared the photo on its official account later in the day, with the caption: "An honor to represent the University of Georgia at the White House today! @realDonaldTrump thanks for having us out!" The image drew comparisons to previous instances in which men have dominated photos at events focused on women's issues. In 2017, a photo of Trump signing an anti-abortion bill surrounded by eight male staffers in the Oval Office was met with outrage. Georgia won the NCAA women's tennis championship last May.