(LifeSiteNews) – President Donald Trump is threatening to deny California “large sale Federal Funding” if it continues to allow males to compete in female school athletic programs in violation of federal executive orders.
In February, Trump signed an executive order requiring school athletic programs to limit female-specific teams to real females in order to continue receiving Title IX funds.
The New York Post reported that California high school junior AB Hernandez, a boy who identifies as a “transgender female,” won the women’s long jump and triple jump at the recent state Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Masters Meet.
“California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow ‘MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS,’” Trump posted on Truth Social. “This week a transitioned Male athlete, at a major event, won ‘everything,’ and is now qualified to compete in the ‘State Finals’ next weekend. As a Male, he was a less than average competitor. As a Female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable. THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS.
“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,” Trump continued. “The Governor, himself, said it is ‘UNFAIR.’ I will speak to him today to find out which way he wants to go??? 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!!!”
President Trump won’t tolerate this. California allows a male athlete posing as a female to sweep women’s track events, qualifying for state finals. When will we stand up for our daughters’ rights to fair competition? #ProtectGirlsSports pic.twitter.com/dObazuD3vZ
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) May 27, 2025
The president cannot directly order local authorities to operate state athletic competitions in a certain way, but per the February order he can deny federal dollars to states if their relevant governing bodies force girls to compete against boys.
Trump also appeared to be referring to comments Newsom made in March, during an interview with populist podcaster Charlie Kirk, in which he admitted it was “deeply unfair” to force female athletes to compete against biological males.
Mandatory inclusion of gender-confused individuals in opposite-sex sports is promoted as a matter of “inclusivity,” but critics note that indulging “transgender” athletes undermines the original rational basis for having sex-specific athletics in the first place, thereby depriving female athletes of recognition and professional or academic opportunities.
There have been numerous high-profile examples in recent years of men winning women’s competitions, and research affirms that physiology gives males distinct athletic advantages that cannot be fully negated by hormone suppression.
In a 2019 paper published by the Journal of Medical Ethics, New Zealand researchers found that “healthy young men (do0 not lose significant muscle mass (or power) when their circulating testosterone levels were reduced to (below International Olympic Committee guidelines) for 20 weeks,” and “indirect effects of testosterone” on factors such as bone structure, lung volume, and heart size “will not be altered by hormone therapy;” therefore, “the advantage to transwomen (biological men) afforded by the (International Olympic Committee) guidelines is an intolerable unfairness.”
Critics also argue that forcing girls to share intimate facilities such as bathrooms, showers, or changing areas with members of the opposite sex violates their privacy rights, subjects them to needless emotional stress, and gives potential male predators a viable pretext to enter female bathrooms or lockers by simply claiming transgender status.
Even the left-wing United Nations has acknowledged as much, via an October 2024 report by special rapporteur Reem Alsalem, which found that more than 600 female athletes around the world have lost more than 890 medals to men in 29 sports as of March 2024. “To avoid the loss of a fair opportunity, males must not compete in the female categories of sport,” the report concluded.
