President Donald Trump has warned that he may suspend federal funding to California if the state allows a transgender high school athlete to compete in the girlsโ state finals.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump criticized California for allowing โmen to play in womenโs sportsโ and wrote, โlarge scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently,โ if the executive order he signed in February is not enforced. The order opposes the participation of male athletes in female sports. He added that he would speak with Governor Gavin Newsom and, if necessary, instruct local authorities to prevent the athlete from competing.
Although Trump did not name the athlete, the Los Angeles Times reported on May 27 that the post likely referred to AB Hernandez, a 16-year-old junior at Jurupa Valley High School in Riverside County. On May 24, Hernandez won first place in the girlsโ triple jump and long jump events at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Masters, qualifying for the state championships scheduled for May 30โ31.
Trump described the situation as โtotally demeaning to women and girlsโ and claimed that Hernandez had been โless than averageโ when competing as a male but is now โpractically unbeatable.โ
Trumpโs February executive order states that states allowing male athletes to participate in female sports risk losing federal education funding.
The CIF issued a statement saying its mission is to provide โa sense of belonging and fair opportunity to all student-athletes,โ and that it would continue to follow California law and education regulations.
Governor Newsom has not released an official statement. However, earlier this year, he said on a podcast that it is โvery unfairโ for biological males to compete in female sports and expressed openness to discussions about finding a balanced approach.
BY HANKIL KANG [kang.hankil@koreadaily.com]
