ANTI-LGBT EXTREMISM
Linda McMahon Says California Can Avoid Education Funding Cuts by Apologizing to Cis Athletes
Education Secretary Linda McMahon threatened to withhold federal funding from California over allowing transgender student athletes to compete. She said the only way the state could stop this from happening would be to send a letter of apology to all cisgender female athletes and strip trans athletes’ titles.
McMahon appeared on Fox News Wednesday morning to address the threatened cuts to California’s funding. In a clip surfaced by journalist Aaron Rupar, she laid out what the state needs to do to stop her from cutting funding.
Linda McMahon on how California can avoid losing federal education funding: "They really need to send a letter of apology to all of the female participants in sports. They need to return the titles that were taken away from these women who competed and lost to males in the… pic.twitter.com/xr06e7B31S
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 25, 2025
“They really need to send a letter of apology to all of the female participants in sports. They need to return the titles that were taken away from these women who competed and lost to males in the sports. They just have to make it right to those women competitors,” McMahon said.
READ MORE: Trans Kids Wanting To Play Team Sports Get Legal Wins
“You know, it’s very interesting to hear Governor Newsom say that it’s a matter of fairness. It’s easy. You know, talk is cheap. I think he needs to put his money where his mouth is,” she continued. “I sent him a letter and asked him to do just that, if he’s talking about fairness. But there was no action taken on his part. So he talks about it, but he doesn’t do anything about it. So we’ve stepped in. We’ve investigated. Our Office of Civil Rights investigated this thoroughly and found that there was an infraction.”
While it’s unknown how many transgender student athletes are in California, EdSource estimates the number to be under 10. And when it comes to California’s title-winning transgender athletes, the number is even lower: one. On May 31, AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High won first place in the girls’ high jump and triple jump in the state’s track-and-field finals.
Despite the incredibly small number of trans athletes competing, the GOP has focused disproportionately on the issue. And even California’s Governor Gavin Newsom has—as McMahon referenced—said he believes it’s “deeply unfair” for transgender athletes to compete.
“I think it’s an issue of fairness, I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness — it’s deeply unfair. I am not wrestling with the fairness issue,” Newsom told conservative commentator Charlie Kirk in March on This Is Gavin Newsom, the governor’s podcast. “I revere sports. So, the issue of fairness is completely legit.”
While Newsom thinks it’s “unfair,” the data does not support his conclusion. Not only is there an incredibly small number of trans athletes—and even fewer who have won competitions—there is no evidence that they have an advantage over cisgender athletes. The truth is, rules against transgender athletes competing is rooted in bigotry and misinformation, nothing more.
Image via Reuters
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