White House calls out Newsom as California girls’ track and field controversy reignites

EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump’s White House has officially put California Gov. Gavin Newsom on notice as a controversial girls’ track and field postseason is set to begin this weekend.

A White House spokesperson called out Newsom in a statement to Fox News Digital as his state continues to allow biological male trans athletes to compete in girls’ high school sports.

“Gavin Newscum is a truly sick individual who has no regard for fairness, dignity, and respect. If he did, he wouldn’t allow men to compete in women’s sports, limiting women’s opportunities and jeopardizing their health and safety. President Trump fights for commonsense policies that uplift every athlete and restore fairness on the field,” White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster said.

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The White House’s statement came in response to a previous statement from a source within Newsom’s office, responding to news that a “Save Girls Sports” protest will be held on Saturday at the site of a track and field playoff meet.

“The Governor has said discussions on this issue should be guided by fairness, dignity, and respect. He rejects the right wing’s cynical attempt to weaponize this debate as an excuse to vilify individual kids. The Governor’s position is simple: stand with all kids and stand up to bullies,” a source within the governor’s office told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

“California is one of 22 states that have laws requiring students be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school sports consistent with their gender identity. California passed this law in 2013 (AB 1266) and it was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown.”

The Saturday protest, organized by former NCAA women’s soccer player Sophia Lorey, will be held at the site of the California Interscholastic Southern Section, Division 3, preliminaries in Yorba Linda, as a trans athlete for Jurupa Valley High School is set to compete after winning two finals last season.

Lorey organized a similar protest at the same round of the tournament last year, bringing national attention to the state playoffs. Trump and Newsom had a spat last year as the very same trans athlete for Jurupa Valley advanced to the state finals, as the president fired off a Truth Social post ordering the state to prevent the athlete from competing.

What followed was a highly chaotic and nationally publicized state championship weekend in Clovis.

Last year’s California girls’ track and field state finals erupted into a chaotic and nationally publicized spectacle that included competing protests, the arrest of a pro-trans activist for allegedly attacking a conservative activist, a plane flyover with a ‘Save Girls Sports’ banner and even Lorey’s ejection from the venue.

TRUMP ADMIN SUING CALIFORNIA OVER ALLEGED TITLE IX VIOLATIONS

After Jurupa’s trans athlete won first place in triple jump and high jump, and second place in long jump, Trump’s Department of Justice launched a lawsuit against California state agencies for alleged Title IX violations last July.

Then in September, Newsom’s Legal Affairs Secretary David Sapp sent an email to JUSD administrators on what appeared to include a copy of the state’s motion to dismiss that lawsuit, as seen in public records obtained by Fox News Digital.

The email was forwarded by one district administrator to others, to be discussed at a meeting on Sept. 12. The exchange also appeared to indicate school administrators recently discussed the issue with Sapp himself.

NEWSOM’S OFFICE DISTANCES GOVERNOR FROM DOJ LAWSUIT VS CALIFORNIA OVER TRANS ATHLETES IN CONTROVERSIAL POST

“You can let the team know that [JUSD administrator] & I received this from David Sapp with the Governor’s office on Monday when discussing the issue with them and we’re passing it along in case it is helpful for our discussion today,” the email said. 

Fox News Digital requested minutes and transcripts from the Sept. 12 meeting that the administrator’s email referenced from JUSD. The school district responded claiming it had no records it could share from the meeting.

“As discussed, please see attached for a copy of the motion to dismiss that we filed on Friday in USDOJ’s lawsuit around Title IX,” Sapp’s email wrote. 

“The September 12 meeting attended by [JUSD administrator] was an informal teleconference, which included, among other attendees, the District’s legal counsel. There were no minutes from the teleconference, and [JUSD administrator] did not take notes or create any documents,” a JUSD administrator told Fox News Digital.

“Any notes or documents prepared by district legal counsel have not been shared with any other party and, as such, are covered by the attorney-client work privilege and attorney work-product doctrine.”

A source within Newsom’s office provided a statement, on background, to Fox News Digital in January, in response to an inquiry for clarification on Sapp’s interaction with JUSD administrators.

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“On September 8, 2025, [JUSD] Superintendent [Trenton] Hansen and Dave Sapp spoke regarding the USDOJ lawsuit mentioned in your email, which includes allegations related to Jurupa USD. Dave followed up to share a copy of the State’s Motion to Dismiss, which had been filed the week before and was otherwise publicly available. Dave did not give the district any directives or suggestions regarding its handling of the transgender athlete situation or related media interactions,” the statement read.

Trump’s administration cracked down with a more targeted investigation of JUSD in January. The U.S. Department of Education announced JUSD specifically would be investigated for potential Title IX violations, along with 17 other institutions.

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