Trump’s Trans Athlete Stance Shakes Up California Girls’ Track Championship

This weekend’s California track and field state championship is more than a race for gold—it’s a political lightning rod. President Donald Trump’s recent Truth Social post, threatening to yank federal funding and send authorities if a trans-identifying athlete competes in the girls’ category, has stirred the pot. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) scrambled, tweaking rules to let more biologically female athletes, edged out by a trans competitor, vie for the title. But for many, it’s a Band-Aid on a deeper wound.

Katie McGuinness, a standout from La Canada High School, is chasing the girls’ long jump crown. She’s consistently placed behind a trans athlete from Jurupa Valley this postseason, including a second-place finish at the sectional final on May 17. Her family, in an exclusive statement, expressed gratitude for Trump’s spotlight on the issue but called CIF’s fix inadequate. “It’s still unfair competition and an injustice to the girls,” they said, arguing that biological males in women’s sports tip the scales unfairly.

Katie herself, a senior with her eyes on a CIF title, spoke out on Fox News’ America Reports. “I have nothing against this athlete as a person,” she clarified, emphasizing her issue lies with CIF’s policies. Recounting a jump measuring 18.9 feet, she felt the sting of competing against what she called “genetic disadvantages.” Her stance is clear: biological males have inherent advantages that skew high-stakes high school competitions.

The trans athlete from Jurupa Valley has dominated both triple and long jump events, setting the stage for a charged showdown Saturday. Riverside County, home to Jurupa Valley High, is no stranger to such debates, with a separate trans athlete controversy at Martin Luther King High School fueling lawsuits. CIF, already under a federal Title IX probe, faces mounting pressure. California’s 2014 law, AB 1266, allows trans athletes to compete as girls, a policy untouched by two failed bills this April despite emotional testimony from affected athletes.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, caught in the crossfire, acknowledged the “deeply unfair” nature of the situation on a March podcast but urged empathy for trans athletes’ mental health struggles. His office later backed CIF’s rule tweak, a move that feels more like political sidestepping than a solution. As the championship looms, the real race is for fairness—and no one’s crossing the finish line unscathed.