CNN
—
President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to withhold federal funding from the state of California over a transgender athlete’s participation in an upcoming sporting event — the latest example of the president trying to use funding as leverage to enact his agenda.
“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 president wrote in a post on Truth Social, alluding to his February executive order banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports, which delivered on one of his key campaign issues.
The president added that he will speak to California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom later Tuesday. CNN has reached out to the White House and the governor’s office.
Newsom — who’s recently taken aim at a number of causes popular among progressives — has previously said that transgender athletes playing in women’s sports is “an issue of fairness” in a break from most Democrats’ position on the topic.
“Well, I think it’s an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness. It’s deeply unfair,” Newsom said in a podcast episode with conservative activist Charlie Kirk in March.
Trump referred to those comments in his Truth Social post Tuesday, writing, “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!!!” He did not name the athlete.
Trump’s executive order, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” leans on compliance with Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities that receive funding from the federal government, as well as federal engagement with the private sector.
The Justice Department in April sued Maine over its refusal to comply with Trump’s order, alleging that the state is violating Title IX and ramping up the administration’s feud with Democratic Gov. Janet Mills. Trump had earlier threatened to strip Maine of its federal funding should the state not comply with his directive.
