A row has broken out at a California school after a transgender teenager triumphed in three girls’ athletic events, despite President Donald Trump's executive order banning biological males from competing in female sport.
AB Hernandez, 17, secured places in the finals of the high jump, long jump, and triple jump – winning all her preliminary heats. In the triple jump, she reached a distance of 41 feet, nearly 10 inches further than her closest rival, according to Mail Online.
The controversy – expected to intensify during today’s state finals – has drawn national attention and prompted Trump to criticise California Governor Gavin Newsom on social media, even threatening to withdraw federal funding.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump 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. THIS IS NOT FAIR AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS. 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'..."
Hernandez's mother, Nereyda, said her daughter had become "a target of a national campaign of cruelty", and criticised the President’s remarks as "weapons of harm".
She has also reportedly faced backlash from other parents angry about their daughters missing out on sporting opportunities. In one incident, a girl who placed behind Hernandez waited until the winner had finished posing on the podium, then stepped onto it herself and struck a pose.
In a recent interview, Hernandez said: "There’s nothing I can do about people’s actions, just focus on my own. I'm still a child, you're an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person."
Police were called to the California Interscholastic Federation event after protests turned physical. One LGBTQ+ activist was arrested after allegedly smashing a car window with a flagpole. Video footage reportedly shows a masked protester carrying a trans flag approaching a car before breaking its window and thrusting the flag inside. The person in the vehicle said they responded with pepper spray.
Hernandez is expected to be a strong contender in each of the finals taking place today.
Trump signed an executive order in February titled 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports', which bans transgender athletes from competing in women’s categories. The move fulfilled a campaign promise and was praised by many online, though it was condemned by numerous LGBTQ+ advocacy groups.
