Trump threatens to strip federal funds to California over transgender youth athletes
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President Trump on Tuesday threatened to cut federal funding to California if the state continues allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports.
Trump blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom in an early morning post on Truth Social, saying the state under his leadership “continues to ILLEGALLY allow MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS.”
“I will speak to him today to find out which way he wants to go???” Trump said of Newsom. “In the meantime I am ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow the transitioned person to compete in the State Finals. This is a totally ridiculous situation!!!”
The president’s post seemed to reference A.B. Hernandez, a Jurupa Valley High School junior who won the girls’ long jump and triple jump during the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Masters Meet over the weekend.
California lawmakers consider proposed legislation to prohibit trans athletes from girls sports.
The California Interscholastic Federation — which oversees sports at more than 1,500 high schools — on Tuesday announced it would implement a new process this year to allow more student-athletes to participate in the CIF State Track and Field Championships.
Under the new process, the CIF said “any biological female student-athlete” who would have qualified in a competition where a transgender athlete got the top spot will be allowed to participate in the championship.
“The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law and Education Code,” CIF wrote in a statement.
Hernandez has been a frequent target of critics who claim transgender athletes should be barred from competing in female sports, because they have an inherent advantage and pose privacy concerns in locker rooms.
In February, Trump signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which gave federal agencies the ability to penalize schools for allowing transgender athletes to compete — something the Trump administration says violates Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sexual discrimination.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into the CIF explicitly threatening California funding, but had not yet cut off those dollars.
California is the second state to enter Trump’s crosshairs over the issue. Last month, the president began the process of stripping Maine of federal education dollars. The dispute immediately landed in court, where it remains.
Similar to Maine, California education code “ensures equal rights and opportunities for every student” and “prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation.”
While Newsom has yet to respond publicly to Trump’s post, the governor recently called it “deeply unfair” for trans athletes to compete in women’s sports.
The Democratic governor of California made the comments during an hourlong interview with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, a loyal supporter of President Trump.
When asked in April if California should restrict transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports, the governor said he was open to discussion.
“You’re talking about a very small number of people, a very small number of athletes, and my responsibility is to address the pressing issues of our time,” said Newsom, who also commented that the conversation had been weaponized by conservatives.
In recent weeks, some anti-trans activists have arrived at track meets to protest Hernandez’s presence, and have even confronted Hernandez’s mother for allowing her child to compete.
“CIF incorrectly believes that it has no choice but to permit males to compete in female categories because of existing California law,” said Erin Friday, an attorney who advocates for keeping transgender athletes out of girls’ sports. “But what the CIF is missing is that it is required to comply with federal law ... The trans-identified males should not be permitted to compete in the female categories at all.”
Despite the political fervor, track meets have gone on without much fanfare, said Kanan Durham, executive director of Pride at the Pier, a nonprofit advocacy group.
“This is not a priority to most people who are there to support their kids,” Durham said. “It is manufactured outrage. The average American isn’t worried about teenagers playing sports — they’re worried about losing their Medicaid and Medicare coverage. It’s a distraction from the real issues hurting Americans. If 10% of the money poured into bullying marginalized kids was put into solving poverty we’d be a different country.”
A.B. Hernandez did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Tuesday.
On April 8, A.B. Hernandez spoke during a Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District board meeting where some trustees had sought to ban transgender athletes.
“The girls on my team all love me and support me,” Hernandez told the board. “They’ve told me over and over again that they want me on this team.”
Her mother, Nereyda Hernandez, criticized the adults who she said have doxxed and harassed her daughter in a post on Instagram this month.
“Let me be very clear: My child trains very hard, dreams just as big and shows the same determination, grit and heart as any other athlete,” she wrote. “Her identity doesn’t give her an advantage; it gives her courage. It takes immense bravery to show up, compete, and be visible in a world that often questions your very right to exist, let alone to participate.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has threatened to cut federal aid for California over gender policies.
In an April letter to Newsom, the Trump-appointed head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture conditioned its aid to abiding by Trump directives — and cited a federal investigation into a state law that prohibits schools from automatically notifying families about student gender-identity changes and shields teachers from retaliation for supporting transgender student rights.
California also joined other states that month when it defied a Trump administration order to certify that the state’s 1,000 school districts had terminated all diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The order threatened the loss of billions of dollars in education funding if the state failed to comply.
One uncertainty in Trump’s latest social media post was whether he was referring to education funding alone or all forms of federal support.
California has long sent more federal tax revenue to Washington than it receives in federal support, according to Newsom. Regardless, the funding that California relies on is significant.
While it’s difficult to calculate the total dollar amount of federal education aid, some tallies have placed the annual figure at $16.3 billion — or about $2,750 per K-12 student. That money includes funding for school meals, students with disabilities and early education Head Start programs.
The state also receives more than $2.1 billion in Title I grants to counteract the effects of poverty — more than any other state — with about $417 million provided to Los Angeles Unified, according to the California Department of Education.
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