Martina Navratilova insists Donald Trump is 'racist' regardless of what he says in public

Martina Navratilova has once again made her feelings known about the new Trump administration on social media. The 18-time singles major champion has long been a critic of Donald Trump and is never slow in responding to the president's words and actions with her own trenchant views.

Considered a leading liberal voice, Navratilova has picked up on a statement made by Gerald A. Griggs, who describes himself on his own website as a "distinguished attorney and social advocate" who "fights for justice for Atlanta and for people's rights."

Griggs took to X (formerly Twitter) to reveal Trump's Justice Department's fresh-off-the-press civil rights directive:

"The Justice Department has instructed its civil rights division to pause all ongoing litigation and refrain from initiating new cases or settlements. The directive, addressed to Kathleen Wolfe, the Trump-appointed supervisor of the division, orders a halt to filing new complaints, motions, amicus briefs, and similar actions."

In reply, Navratilova returned to a theme she has long espoused - that Trump's public statements on race do not match up with his actions. She stated, with thinly disguised sarcasm:

"But no, Trump is not racist at all...look at what he does, not what he says."

This is, of course, barely the first time Navratilova has publicly expressed her disapproval of the 47th President of the United States.

Navratilova is a long-time champion of civil rights and minority interests

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Civil rights is a subject dear to Navratilova's heart, and she's often used her social media platform to champion the interests of women, the gay and transexual communities, and other minorities. Trump's new administration has kicked off with aggressive resolutions that have been seen as attacks on various minority groups, and in his inaugural address he explicitly challenged the trans community:

"As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female." [via BBC]

It's no surprise that those words, coupled with the Justice Department's new civil rights stance, have riled the Czech-born tennis legend. During the New York businessman and TV personality's first presidential term, she expressed her feelings about him, telling RTE's The Late Late Show:

"I think he is a threat to the world, not just our country. I'm trying to do my part, to figure out how to get involved, rather than just tweeting - that's not enough. I think he's sexist, and racist, and all of those things."

Navratilova is on the front line of liberal resistance to the new regime and can be expected to continue her social media assault on all things Trump. It remains to be seen whether the tennis legend will indeed become more deeply involved in the effort to combat the Trump administration's perceived assault on civil liberties.