US President Donald Trump has issued a stark threat to strip federal funding from California school districts that refuse to enforce his administration’s strict transgender policies—escalating a politically charged battle with the state over trans inclusion in school sports.
On Thursday, 21 August, Trump posted to his Truth Social platform:
“Any California school district that doesn’t adhere to our Transgender policies, will not be funded. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The statement, which lacked details on implementation or scope, follows a wave of anti-trans executive orders signed by Trump since returning to the White House.
The tension stems from California’s refusal to enforce a ban on transgender girls competing in female sports. The issue reached national attention after AB Hernandez, a 16-year-old transgender athlete from Jurupa Valley High School, qualified for the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Track and Field Championships—prompting widespread backlash from right-wing groups and direct criticism from Trump himself.
In a separate Truth Social post, the president attacked Hernandez directly, describing her as a “transitioned Male athlete” who is “practically unbeatable.”
“THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS,” he wrote. “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 executive order in question, titled Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports, was signed in February. It mandates that all federally funded educational institutions segregate sports participation based on “biological sex.”
According to the order, it is the official policy of the United States to “oppose male competitive participation in women’s sports more broadly, as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity and truth.”
California, led by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, has pushed back forcefully. In July, Trump’s Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the state, alleging that its support for transgender athletes violates Title IX—a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education.
The California Department of Education and the CIF recently updated their policies in favour of trans inclusion. Under the new policy, cisgender athletes who narrowly missed out on qualifying due to a trans competitor are now granted the opportunity to compete as well.
The federal lawsuit argues that this approach is both illegal and discriminatory.
“[These policies] are not only illegal and unfair but also demeaning,” it reads, “signalling to girls that their opportunities and achievements are secondary to accommodating boys.”
It further claims California’s stance “ignores undeniable biological differences between boys and girls, in favour of an amorphous ‘gender identity’.”
The legal and cultural standoff continues to intensify, signalling a deepening divide between the federal government and progressive states over the future of transgender rights in education.
