US President Donald Trump has called the governor of California a rude 'nickname' after he threatened to fine the state over transgender athletes.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform this week, where he threatened to take action after a transgender athlete took home gold at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state finals over the weekend.
Since coming back into power in January, Trump has vowed to stop transgender athletes competing with cisgender women in sports. On February 5, he signed an executive order called 'Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,' directing the administration to withhold federal funding from elementary, secondary, and post-secondary institutions that allowed transgender girls to compete on girls' or women’s sports teams.
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Last month, the Trump administration claimed that the University of Pennsylvania had violated federal civil rights laws when it allowed transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports, claiming the educational institution broke Title IX rules.
Title IX is a landmark US federal law that was passed in 1972 as part of the Education Amendments prohibiting sex-based discrimination in any educational program or activity that receives federal financial assistance. According to the Trump administration, the university was found to have denied 'women equal opportunities by permitting males to compete in women’s intercollegiate athletics and to occupy women-only intimate facilities.'
The university was given 10 days to 'voluntarily resolve these violations or risk a referral to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) for enforcement proceedings'.
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More recently, Trump has threatened to take action in California, following news that AB Hernandez, a 16-year-old transgender athlete, had won gold medals in both the high jump and triple jump while competing in CIF state finals held at Buchanan High School in Clovis.
Writing on Truth Social, he said: "A Biological Male competed in California Girls State Finals, WINNING BIG, despite the fact that they were warned by me not to do so."
He then referred to governor Gavin Newsom by a different name, adding: "As Governor Gavin Newscum fully understands, large scale fines will be imposed!!!"
Following the state finals, in a letter dated 2 June, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhilon wrote to state school districts, stating: "As a member of the California Interscholastic Federation ('CIF'), and a political subdivision of the State of California, you are exposed to legal liability due to a policy CIF has enacted that violates federal law."
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The letter continued: "The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex.
"Knowingly depriving female students of athletic opportunities and benefits on the basis of their sex would constitute unconstitutional sex discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause.
"Scientific evidence shows that upsetting the historical status quo and forcing girls to compete against males would deprive them of athletic opportunities and benefits because of their sex.
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"Therefore, you cannot implement a policy allowing males to compete alongside girls, because such a policy would deprive girls of athletic opportunities and benefits bases solely on their biological sex, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause."
In a comment to Tyla, the CIF said: "While the CIF has been notified of the investigation, we do not comment on pending investigations."
Tyla has also reached out to Newsom for comment.
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, Sport, US News,
Lucy Devine