Particle.news
Download on the App Store
34 ARTICLES
·
yesterday

Trump Threatens to Cut California’s Federal Funding Over Transgender Athlete

He warned that California could lose billions if it allows a trans high school student to compete in girls’ state track events under its inclusive policies.

People attend a Transgender Day of Visibility march and rally in New York City, U.S., March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo
In this January 24 photo, President Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom, speak at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles.
President Donald Trump speaks during the 157th National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley tied for fourth in the girls high jump at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet at Moorpark High School on May 24, 2025.

Overview

  • On May 27, Trump posted on Truth Social that “large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently” unless California blocks AB Hernandez from the CIF girls’ long jump and triple jump state finals.
  • The warning invokes Trump’s Feb. 5 executive order that ties Title IX education funds to barring biological males from competing in female sports.
  • California Interscholastic Federation rules and state anti-discrimination law require schools to let transgender athletes compete according to their gender identity, setting up a direct clash with the federal mandate.
  • Governor Gavin Newsom, who has called transgender participation “deeply unfair,” has not intervened to stop Hernandez and is set to discuss next steps with the president.
  • Legal experts say the president cannot compel state or local officials to enforce the ban, and any attempt to withhold over $170 billion in federal aid would almost certainly prompt immediate legal challenges.