President Donald Trump lashed out at California Gov. Gavin Newsom, threatening to withhold federal funding from the state over a transgender high school athlete who qualified for the state championships.
“California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow ‘MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS,’” Trump posted Tuesday on Truth Social.
Newsom broke with the Democratic Party in March when he called it “deeply unfair” for transgender athletes to compete in women’s sporting events. Trump seized on that comment in his post.
“The Governor, himself, said it is ‘UNFAIR.’ I will speak to him today to find out which way he wants to go???” he wrote.
The president’s outburst appeared to be a reaction to Tuesday’s Fox & Friends segment about AB Hernandez, a Jurupa Valley High School junior who won the long jump and triple jump at a regional meet in Southern California over the weekend. Hernandez, who identifies as a girl, has become the latest lightning rod in the campaign to ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s sporting events. With no public events scheduled for Tuesday, the president launched an attack the 16-year-old.
“As a Male, he was a less than average competitor. As a Female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable,” he wrote. “THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS.”
Trump, who has issued an executive order prohibiting transgender women and girls from competing in women’s sports, threatened to yank federal funding from California if the state refuses to fall in line.
He also vowed to personally direct local authorities to block Hernandez from competing in the state championships, set to begin on May 30.
Trump’s claims that Hernandez is unbeatable doesn’t square with her record. According to Capital & Main, she has been beaten by over 2 meters in her jumps by girls in other states. And at a meet two weeks ago, Hernandez placed first in triple jump, eighth in high jump, and third in long jump.
That hasn’t stopped some high schools and school district officials from pushing to ban transgender athletes from girls’ sports, arguing they have an unfair advantage.
Elana Redfield, federal policy director of the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, told Capital & Main, “We’re not seeing a dramatic increase in trans people winning competitions or a dramatic increase in injuries or other potential risks to other participants.”
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