“Hiring a sex offender & drug abuser”: Martina Navratilova stunned as Donald Trump puts controversial NFL star in Presidential Fitness Test council

August 3, 2025

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Martina Navratilova was left aghast by Donald Trump’s decision to appoint controversial NFL star Lawrence Taylor in the Presidential Fitness Test council. The US President signed an executive order on Thursday, July 31, re-establishing the Presidential Fitness Test.

It was once a regular fixture in American schools to promote a healthy lifestyle, first established during the tenure of former President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956. However, it was discontinued in 2012 during former President Barack Obama’s term.

President Trump signed the order in the presence of several notable athletes, including WWE star Paul “Triple H” Levesque and NFL legend Taylor, among others. In order to ensure the success of the program, some of these high-profile athletes, including Taylor, have been tasked to be a part of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.

While Taylor is one of the most influential athletes in NFL history, his appointment raised eyebrows, given his history with drug abuse and his status as a registered sex offender. With President Trump's alleged involvement in the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein scandal, his decision to appoint Taylor has ruffled a few feathers.

When Navratilova came across this news, she wasn't pleased in the slightest and took to social media to express her views.

"Nothing like hiring a sex offender and a former drug abuser for this particular job…." Navratilova wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Navratilova has also spoken up about President Trump's alleged involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal on numerous occasions in recent days. She felt that the US President was "scared" after a development in the case.

Martina Navratilova labels President Donald Trump as "scared" as the Jeffrey Epstein scandal grows murkier

Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon 2025. (Photo: Getty)

US President Donald Trump recently accused former FBI Director James Comey and former US Attorney General Merrick Garland of planting fake evidence to implicate him in the controversial Epstein files.

President Trump was once friends with Jeffrey Epstein, who was also his financial advisor. However, the latter's arrest on account of child trafficking sparked worldwide outrage, leading to his eventual suicide in prison. The Epstein files are a record of Epstein's numerous crimes which were uncovered during investigation.

President Trump has been accused of knowing more than what he lets on regarding the matter. However, he refuted all allegations against him. Martina Navratilova has followed these developments closely, and felt that the US President was "scared".

"He is scared ..." she wrote on X.

Navratilova has continued to slam the Trump administration regarding this matter, which has dominated the headlines for quite some time now. Her disdain for the US President is well-documented, with these controversies only giving her more ammunition to work with.

About the author

Rohit is a journalist at Sportskeeda who specializes in covering tennis. Having been with the company for three years, he has proven himself as a formidable force in the field. With a Master's degree in law, Rohit brings his analytical and research skills to the forefront as a journalist. He stays on top of the game by using social media platforms and never misses a match for on-court insights. He values giving credit where it's due, keeping his reporting fair and accurate.

At the outset of his career, Rohit found his niche in writing previews and SEO pieces and it's this expertise that continues to define his role at Sportskeeda. He is particularly proud of one article that garnered an impressive 750k views and surpassed his "wildest dreams." Rohit is not particularly fond of (GOAT) debates and it is one of the reasons why he left the legal world behind. He prefers to view players in "tiers," where they're all esteemed to an extent. However, if pressed to name favorites, he would choose Serena and Venus Williams. The Williams sisters' journey from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of tennis has been his greatest source of inspiration.

When he isn't busy making spot-on predictions about match outcomes, Rohit likes reading, particularly fantasy, sci-fi, and comics. As an X-Men fanatic, he's also passionate about board games and enjoys watching movies in his spare time. And don't be surprised if you catch him silently wishing to the tennis gods for the removal of ad scoring from doubles.

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