Trump threatens to withhold federal funding from California over transgender athlete
By Samantha Waldenberg and Stephanie Elam, CNN
(CNN) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to withhold federal funding from California over a transgender athlete’s participation in an upcoming sporting event — the latest example of the president trying to use funding as leverage to enact his agenda.
“Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to,” the president wrote in a post on Truth Social, alluding to his February executive order banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports, which delivered on one of his key campaign issues.
Later on Tuesday, the California Interscholastic Federation announced it would allow more biological female student-athletes to compete in this weekend’s CIF state track and field championships after a transgender high school athlete qualified in the long jump and triple jump.
The federation posted a statement on its website stating that it decided at the end of its track and field qualifying meets last weekend to “pilot an entry process” for the championship meet, inviting those “biological female” student athletes who would have earned a qualifying mark for automatic entry to compete in the finals.
“The CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student-athletes,” the federation said.
A spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said the CIF’s proposed pilot is “reasonable.”
“CIF’s proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness — a model worth pursuing. The Governor is encouraged by this thoughtful approach,” Izzy Gardon, director of communications, said in a statement.
Newsom — who’s recently taken aim at a number of causes popular among progressives — has previously said that transgender athletes playing in women’s sports is “an issue of fairness” in a break from most Democrats’ position on the topic.
“Well, I think it’s an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness. It’s deeply unfair,” Newsom said in a podcast episode with conservative activist Charlie Kirk in March.
Trump referred to those comments in his Truth Social post Tuesday, writing, “The Governor, himself, said it is ‘UNFAIR.’ I will speak to him today to find out which way he wants to go???”
CNN has reached out to the White House for a comment.
Trump added: “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!!!” He did not name the athlete.
The president also spoke about transgender athletes in women’s sports during his commencement address at West Point over the weekend.
“We will not have men playing in women’s sports if that’s okay. How crazy is it? Men playing in women’s sports? How crazy is it? So ridiculous. So demeaning. So demeaning to women. And it’s over. That’s over. We’ve ended it.”
Trump’s executive order, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” leans on compliance with Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities that receive funding from the federal government, as well as federal engagement with the private sector.
The Justice Department in April sued Maine over its refusal to comply with Trump’s order, alleging that the state is violating Title IX and ramping up the administration’s feud with Democratic Gov. Janet Mills. Trump had earlier threatened to strip Maine of its federal funding should the state not comply with his directive.
CNN’s Amanda Musa and Peter Kaplan contributed to this report.
