California’s annual high school track and field championships that will be held in Clovis this upcoming weekend are at the center of a federal funding dispute between President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Trump threatened to withhold federal funding to California if the state allows transgender athlete AB Hernandez to compete this weekend.
Driving the news: Hernandez is a biological male who has been competing in girls track and field at Jurupa Valley High School.
- Hernandez qualified for the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Track and Field Championships this weekend, which will be held at Buchanan High School.
- Trump issued an executive order in February barring biological males from competing in girls’ sports.
Trump speaks out: Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday that it is not fair for the transgender athlete to compete against 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 wrote.
- Trump said he planned to speak to Newsom on Tuesday and called on local authorities to bar the transgender athlete from competing.
- Following Trump’s post, the CIF announced that it changed the criteria for which student athletes will be allowed to compete in the upcoming state championships.
- Female student-athletes who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their automatic qualifying entries and did not achieve the CIF State at-large mark will have an opportunity to compete.
What they’re saying: A spokesperson for Newsom told Politico that the governor is encouraged by the CIF’s new rule.
- “CIF’s proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness,” the spokesperson said. “The Governor is encouraged by this thoughtful approach.”
- California Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher (R–Yuba City) applauded Trump’s words.
- “President Trump said what millions of parents are thinking,” Gallagher said. “California is letting biological boys steal girls’ titles, and Gavin Newsom is too weak to stop it. If Newsom won’t protect fairness in women’s sports, Republicans will.”
- Asm. David Tangipa spoke out against the CIF’s decision to allow Hernandez to compete and called on the CIF to restore equal and protected opportunities for all female athletes.
- “This pilot program is an admission that opportunities are being stolen from female athletes,” Tangipa said. “This decision doesn’t affect a select few athletes, but rather every female competitor in the state. The decision to protect women’s sports was already decided with the creation of Title IX. This directly contradicts federal law that requires women’s sports to be protected, our women and girls deserve better. Let us be clear, men do not belong in women’s sports.”
- Clovis City Councilmember Diane Pearce said on Facebook that she will heed Trump’s call for local officials to intervene.
- “Just this morning, President Trump posted on social media about our state finals saying that what is about to happen here in Clovis is ‘not fair’ and reminded everyone Governor Newsom said that too. The President said he’d be calling Governor Newsom later today to see if he truly wants to risk federal funding over this issue,” Pearce wrote. “This morning President Trump asked local officials to step up. Over the past week I’ve been in touch with other local elected officials and we will be doing just that. Stay tuned…”
