OAN Staff James Meyers
10:53 AM – Tuesday, May 27, 2025
President Donald Trump has threatened to halt federal funding for California if the state does not stop allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports.
Trump issued a dire warning that he will order “local authorities, if necessary, to not allow” a transgender athlete to compete in the state finals of high school track and field this weekend. The threat comes ahead of a planned phone call with Democrat California Governor Gavin Newsom.
“California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow ‘MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS,’” Trump grumbled on Truth Social Tuesday.
“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.”
The 47th president was referring to California high school junior AB Hernandez, a male who transitioned and now identifies as a transgender woman. Hernandez has made headlines recently after winning the women’s long jump and triple jump during a state Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Masters Meet.
In March, Hernandez won a triple jump contest by a wide margin of three feet and is now set to compete in the CIF state championships in Fresno on Friday and Saturday.
“As a Male, he was a less than average competitor. As a Female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable,” Trump recapped.
The threat by Trump comes after the 47th president signed an executive order in February that stopped transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports or else risk losing out on federal funding for states that don’t cooperate.
After the February executive order, the National Collegiate Athletic Association changed course on its own rules. It now mandates that only people assigned female at birth will be allowed to compete in women’s college sports.
During a governor’s summit at the White House earlier this year, Trump was at odds with Maine’s Governor Janet Mills (D-Maine) over the issue.
The Trump administration opened a probe into Maine to determine whether or not it was breaking Title IX rules, a provision of the Civil Rights Act that restricts schools that engage in sex-based discrimination from receiving federal funds. The investigation put up more than $250 million in annual federal funding at risk for the state.
The president also called for an apology from the governor.
Earlier this month, the GOP administration unfroze funding for The Pine Tree State after negotiations and litigation were conducted.
The news also comes after Newsom admitted during a recent podcast with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk that it’s “deeply unfair” to allow transgenders to compete in women’s sports.
“The Governor, himself, said it is ‘UNFAIR.’ I will speak to him today to find out which way he wants to go???” 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!!!”
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