a day ago
Trump escalates war on Gavin Newsom by threatening to rip millions of federal dollars from California
With his public battle with Elon Musk going into overdrive, President Donald Trump 's team has made preparations to yank money from California in connection with another standoff, according to a report.
Days after threatening to withhold 'large scale federal funding' from California, aides are identifying potential grants to pull back in a clash over the state's policy on transgender athletes.
A whistleblower told a congressional committee that all research grants to the state are set to be nixed, CNN reported.
Agencies are being told to identify grants to the nation's wealthiest state, which is a Democratic stronghold.
A White House official dismissed the idea that any action was imminent, while agreeing that officials are always trying to identify spending for elimination throughout the government.
'No decisions have been made,' the official told when asked about the state of play.
Trump signed executive orders before leaving the White House Friday dealing with drone technology, but the White House announced no action on California.
Real or not, Trump's threat has gotten the attention of California's educational institutions, which are among the most prominent in the nation and rely on billions in federal funding.
'Every university, every research organization, pretty much I saw them passing through here the last two days,' Rep. Darrell Issa told the network.
The report comes days after Trump threatened to yank federal funding to California after a transgender athlete won the long jump and triple jump in a school meet and qualified for the state championships.
The athlete, AB Hermandez, went on to win gold in the high jump and triple jump at the state Track and Field Championships last weekend.
University of California system identified $4 billion in awards it got from the federal government in 2024, an 11 percent drop from the prior year.
The threat came in late May asTrump blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom, who he called 'Newscum,' and called the high school sporting results results 'not fair and totally demeaning to women and girls.'
'Please be advised that large scale federal funding will be held back, maybe permanently,' Trump threatened on his Truth Social site.
He said he would speak to the governor today. Then, without citing a specific legal basis, Trump wrote that '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!!!'
His post came after transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley won the women's long jump and triple jump at the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Masters Meet.
A week prior, Reese Hogan of Crean Lutheran High School, one of the opponents defeated by Hernandez, a biological male, took the podium following the official ceremony.
The moment took off online, and earned praise from former college swimmer and conservative political activist Riley Gaines. In March, Hernandez drew backlash online after winning a triple jump event by three feet.
Trump fumed about the results of the weekend's meet, and teased an upcoming phone call with Newsom.
He wrote: 'California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow 'MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN'S SPORTS.'
'This week a transitioned Male athlete, at a major event, won 'everything,' and is now qualified to compete in the 'State Finals' next weekend. As a Male, he was a less than average competitor. As a Female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable.'
Then, he added in all caps, 'this is not fair and totally demeaning to women and girls.'
Trump went on to threaten: '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 Governor, himself, said it is 'UNFAIR.' I will speak to him today to find out which way he wants to go??? 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!!!'
Trump's public pressure on Newsom comes after the leading Democrat and potential 2028 presidential contender hedged on the issue on his podcast in March, in comments to conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
'I think it's an issue of fairness I completely agree with you on that ... It's deeply unfair,' Newsom said.
'By the way, as someone with four kids, two daughters — and a wife that went, God forbid, to Stanford and played on the junior national soccer team,' Newsom said. 'I revere sports, and so the issue of fairness is completely legit,' he said. He also told Kirk how Trump and Republicans were able to 'weaponize' the issue politically.
'I'm not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you,' Newsom said of the hot-button topic that Trump highlighted throughout his successful campaign.
California lawmakers opted last month not to change the state's policies on participation of transgender athletes after Democrats on two state Assembly committees turned back Republican proposals on the issue following heated debate.
During an April press conference, when asked if there should be legal restrictions on transgender athletes, Newsom responded that 'I'm about as transparent about this as anybody out there, particularly in my party, on this, and to the extent someone can and do it in a way that's respectful and responsible and could find a kind of balance, then I'm open to that discussion.'
The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law estimates there are 49,000 trans youths aged 13 to 17 in California.
Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office titled 'defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government.'
