Amid the turmoil over biological males competing as girls in female sports, the California Interscholastic Federation has done a complete U-turn, offering to let any girls who were beaten in state qualifying competitions by transgender athletes compete in the upcoming state finals.

The sudden change of heart comes just hours after President Trump warned California that it risks losing federal funding if it continues to allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports.

Mr. Trump’s ire focused on a planned appearance by a transgender high school junior, AB Hernandez, at the California state championships in Fresno this coming weekend. The high schooler, who was born a male but identifies as female, has drawn attention for a string of wins against biological females, including victories in the long jump and triple jump at recent events.

The CIF said Tuesday that after track and field qualifying meets this past weekend, the group “made the decision to pilot an entry process for the upcoming 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships.”

“Any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their Section’s automatic qualifying entries in the CIF State meet, and did not achieve the CIF State at-large mark in the finals at their Section meet, was extended an opportunity to participate in the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships,” the organization said.

“The CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student-athletes,” the group said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Trump took to Truth Social to blast Governor Newsom and his administration at Sacramento over his refusal to intervene in student athletics on behalf of women.

“California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow ‘MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS,’” he wrote on Tuesday. “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 president wrote.

He concluded his post by saying, “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!!!”

The post referenced a broader policy implemented during Mr. Trump’s time in office. In February, he signed an executive order designed to restrict transgender athletes from competing on women’s sports teams, warning that noncompliance could result in the withdrawal of federal funding. California receives about $16.3 billion in federal education funding each year, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The Trump administration previously applied similar pressure on the state of Maine by opening a Title IX investigation, which put $250 million in federal funds under review. Following negotiations and litigation, funding was eventually restored, but Mr. Trump indicated that other states could face similar scrutiny.

Mr. Newsom, who is widely expected to run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, shocked the LGBTQ community in March when he said on his podcast that it is “deeply unfair” for transgender athletes to participate in girls’ sports.

“I revere sports. And so the issue of fairness is completely legit,” Mr. Newsom said. He also noted that California passed a law in 2013 — before he took office — allowing students to use bathrooms and participate on sports teams based on the genders they identify with. As recently as March, Mr. Newsom proposed no alterations to the statute.

A guest on his podcast, Charlie Kirk, a conservative, said to the governor, “You, right now, should come out and be like, ‘You know what, the young man who’s about to win the state championship in the long jump in female sports, that shouldn’t happen.’ You, as the governor, should step out and say, ‘No.’” 

“I think it’s an issue of fairness,” Mr. Newsom said. “I completely agree with you on that.”

The high school athlete leapt into the news again last weekend, winning two first-place medals during the California Interscholastic Federation girls’ track and field finals. The athlete is now ranked no. 1 in the state in the triple jump heading into the state championship May 31.

Another athlete at the weekend meet, Reese Hogan, garnered more headlines after she took second place. She stood alongside the transgender athlete during the official photos, but after other athletes cleared the podium Ms. Hogan took her spot in the no. 1 position, smiling for photos as the crowd cheered.