California’s high school sports authority quietly expanded eligibility for this weekend’s state track and field championships Tuesday, hours after President Donald Trump threatened to cut federal funding unless the state disqualified a transgender girl athlete. Trump said that he would discuss the matter with Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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Hours after Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from California over a transgender athlete’s participation, the California Interscholastic Federation announced a new “pilot entry process” for the CIF State Championships on May 30–31. A spokesperson for Newsom later clarified that the policy had been decided prior to the president’s post. Under the policy, cisgender girls who narrowly missed qualifying—allegedly due to the inclusion of a transgender competitor—will now be offered a chance to compete.
Related: Donald Trump rails against transgender athletes in U of Alabama commencement speech
At the center of the escalating controversy is AB Hernandez, a 17-year-old trans junior from Jurupa Valley High School, who recently won two Southern Section titles in the girls’ long jump and triple jump. Though he didn’t name her directly, Trump’s post on Truth Social earlier in the day railed against a student who “won everything” and warned that “large-scale funding” would be withheld from California if she is allowed to compete.
Trump also claimed he would instruct local authorities to intervene—an extraordinary assertion with no legal grounding.
“The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,” the federation said in a statement. “The CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student-athletes.”
Related: Donald Trump bans transgender athletes from playing sports
Sacramento NBC affiliate KCRA reports that scoring may now be separated by category, potentially resulting in three winners per event: one transgender girl, one cisgender girl, and one cisgender boy.
Advocates for Trans Equality did not immediately respond to The Advocate’s request for comment.
“CIF’s proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness — a model worth pursuing,” Izzy Gardon, Newsom’s communications director, told The Advocate in a statement. “The Governor is encouraged by this thoughtful approach.” Newsom came under fire for agreeing with far-right activist Charlie Kirk in March that trans inclusion in girls’ sports is “deeply unfair.”
In April, Newsom said at a press conference that the issue of trans athletes had been “weaponized by the right to be 10x, 100x bigger than it is,” while also voicing openness to conversations about finding the “right balance” conducted with “dignity” and “humanity.”
Related: Trump threatens to yank California’s federal funding over one transgender student’s sports participation
State Sen. Scott Wiener, chair of California’s LGBTQ+ caucus, told KCRA, “California law protects trans people. That won’t change. There’s only one answer to a bully: No.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional details from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.
