Trump promises 'large scale fines' after California trans athlete wins two state titles
The president of the United States singled out AB Hernandez, a transgender high school athlete who placed first in the high jump and triple jump in California's track and field finals
WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump said he plans to impose "large scale fines" on California as his Justice Department threatened to sue the state's public schools after a transgender athlete was allowed to compete and won two medals in last weekend's track and field state championship.
Trump promised the financial penalties in an overnight June 3 post on Truth Social after AB Hernandez, a transgender high school, placed first in the high jump and triple jump in California's track and field finals.
Hernandez shared the podium with her cisgender competitors following a rule change enacted last week that allowed athletes assigned as female at birth to receive medals based on where they would have finished if a transgender athlete had not competed.
"Biological Male competed in California Girls State Finals, WINNING BIG, despite the fact that they were warned by me not to do so," Trump wrote in a 12:56 a.m. ET post. "As Governor Gavin Newscum fully understands, large scale fines will be imposed!!!" he added, referring to California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Trump did not quantify the amount he will seek to fine California or specify which federal funding stream he might target. A spokesperson from Newsom's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a June 2 letter to California's public schools, a Justice Department official said to "avoid legal liability" the state must assure by June 9 it will no longer implement a bylaw requiring transgender students to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity. The policy was adopted in 2012 under a law passed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat.
Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's civil rights division, argued allowing transgender athletes in female competitions is sex discrimination in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
"Scientific evidence shows that upsetting the historical status quo and forcing girls to compete against males would deprive them of athletic opportunities and benefits because of their sex," Dhillon said. "Therefore, you cannot implement a policy allowing males to compete alongside girls, because such a policy would deprive girls of athletic opportunities and benefits based solely on their biological sex."
The controversy 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.
Ahead of the track meet, Trump instructed local authorities in California not to allow Hernandez to compete in the championship. The president warned Newsom that he would cut his state off from federal funding if an executive order he signed Feb. 5 seeking to bar transgender student athletes from playing women’s sports is not followed.
Trump's "keeping men out of sports" executive order 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."
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.
California is one of 22 states with laws that allow transgender athletes to compete other athletes who match their gender identity.
Newsom, a longtime Trump adversary and potential 2028 Democratic contender for president, broke from many progressives in his party 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.
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.