President Donald Trump on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, threatened to withhold “large-scale” federal funding from California, potentially permanently, over a transgender athlete’s participation in women’s sports.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed the unnamed athlete, who won “everything” at a major event this week and qualified for the “State Finals” next weekend, was “practically unbeatable” as a transitioned female, despite being a “less than average competitor” as a male.
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He labeled the situation “not fair” and “totally demeaning to women and girls,” citing his executive order signed on February 5, 2025, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which bans transgender women from competing in female sports at federally funded schools under Title IX.
Trump accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a “Radical Left Democrat,” of illegally allowing the participation and noted Newsom’s own comments calling it “unfair.”
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The president said he would speak with Newsom today to determine his stance and ordered local authorities, if necessary, to bar the athlete from the State Finals, calling it a “totally ridiculous situation.”
California, which depends on over $170 billion in federal funds for its 2025-2026 budget, faces significant economic pressure.
