Trump warns Newsom after California transgender athlete qualifies for state championship
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump issued a warning to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and threatened to cut his state off from federal funding after a transgender high school athlete in California won track events to qualify for the state championship.
Trump said in a May 27 post on Truth Social he plans to speak later in the day with Newsom, whom he accused of "continuing to ILLEGALLY allow 'MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS.'"
Trump pointed to last weekend's California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Masters Meet, where a transgender athlete won the girls' triple jump and long jump competitions to advance to the state finals set for May 30 and 31.
"As a Male, he was a less than average competitor," Trump said. "As a Female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable. THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS."
Trump added that "large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently" if an executive order he signed Feb. 5 seeking to bar transgender student athletes from playing women’s sports is not followed. He did not specify which funding streams he would target.
He also said he was "ordering local authorities" in California not to allow the transgender athlete to compete in this weekend's championship.
The situation in California has become a flashpoint in the Trump administration's efforts to target transgender athletes ‒ a wedge issue that Trump and other Republicans have pushed aggressively in recent elections.
After the same high school athlete won a different triple jump competition on May 17, the second-place winner stood on the first-place podium following the awards ceremony. The moment drew loud cheers from many parents and other spectators in the crowd, a video taken at the event shows.
A spokesman for the California governor's office declined to comment on Trump's threat.
Hours after the president's post, the California Interscholastic Federation announced it will expand participation in the state track and field championship to "any biological female student athlete" who would have qualified had the transgender athlete not competed in the qualifying round.
Izzy Gardon, Newsom's communications director, called the eligibility changes "a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness" and "a model worth pursuing," adding that the governor is "encouraged by this thoughtful approach.”
The federation said it made its decision at the conclusion of the meet, before Trump weighed in.
California is one of 22 states with laws that allow transgender athletes to compete in sports consistent with their gender identity.
Newsom, a longtime Trump adversary and potential 2028 Democratic contender for president, broke from many progressive Democrats when he said allowing transgender athletes in girls' and women's sports is "deeply unfair" during a recent podcast interview with conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Trump's executive order aimed at "keeping men out of sports" directed the Department of Education to pursue "enforcement actions" under Title IX, the federal law prohibiting discrimination based on sex in educational institutions, and adopt rules "clearly specifying and clarifying that women’s sports are reserved for women."
The U.S. Department of Education in April announced the formation of the “Title IX Special Investigations Team” to review what the department called "a staggering volume of Title IX complaints" following Trump's order.
Trump has butted heads with multiple Democratic governors over the implementation the order. In April, the Trump Justice Department sued Maine, alleging Title IX violations for refusing to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports.
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.