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Tag: Department

Education Department cuts $600M in taxpayer dollars for ‘divisive’ training programs

The Department of Education (DOED) is pulling the plug on the use of taxpayer dollars to fund “divisive” and “inappropriate” training programs for educators, announcing hundreds of millions in cuts as the Trump administration cleans house on “wasteful” spending within the federal government.

On Monday, the DOED announced the cancelation of $600 million dollars in grants funding programs that teach educators “divisive ideologies” such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the “instruction on White privilege and White supremacy.”

The latest spending cut comes just days after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk to cut government spending, announced the slashing of over $370 million in DEI training programs from the Education Department.

The grants that were terminated included funding for training programs “requiring practitioners to take personal and institutional responsibility for systemic inequities (e.g., racism) and critically reassess their own practices,” according to the DOED.

DOGE PUTS DEI ON CHOPPING BLOCK WITH TERMINATION OF OVER $370M IN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT GRANTS

The Department of Education terminated $600 million in DEI funding. (Getty Images)

Also slashed in the cost-cutting sweep was funding to one program that provided “spaces for critical reflection to help educators confront biases and have transformative conversations about equity,” and another that worked on “building historical and sociopolitical understandings of race and racism to interrupt racial marginalization and oppression of students in planning, instruction, relationship building, discipline and assessment.”

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PROBING SOME VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS OVER GENDER IDENTITY POLICIES

“Less money on DEI nonsense means more money to make sure teachers know how to teach students to read! #MakeAmericaLiterateAgain,” Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice said in a post on X.

The move also received a thumbs up from Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, who expressed her support on social media.

The Department of Education building. (iStock)

According to the DOED, many of the grants also included teacher and staff recruiting strategies that were “implicitly and explicitly based on race.”

“The Department of Education has canceled $600 million in ‘teacher training grants,’ which do little more than promote left-wing race and gender ideologies,” Chris Rufo, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, said of the announcement. “It’s time to shut it all down.”

Elon Musk speaks during an event in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (AP Images)

President Donald Trump’s administration has made axing DEI programs in education a focal point of their efforts to reform the department, ordering all 50 state education departments last week to remove DEI policies within 14 days or risk losing federal funding.

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The president has signaled his intention to eventually abolish the department during his term to allow individual states to make decisions about their own education departments.

Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

February 18, 2025
China outraged after Trump State Department deletes key phrase on Taiwan relations

President Donald Trump’s State Department angered Chinese officials last week after deleting a key phrase declaring U.S. opposition to Taiwan’s independence.

The State Department’s fact sheet on U.S. relations with Taiwan had previously stated “we do not support Taiwan independence,” but the phrase was removed on Thursday and continues to be absent. Chinese officials called on the U.S. to “immediately correct this mistake,” on Sunday, arguing it “sends a wrong signal to the Taiwan independence forces.”

The State Department noted in a statement to NBC News that the U.S. stance on Taiwanese independence has not changed.

“The United States is committed to preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” a spokesperson told the outlet Sunday.

TRUMP MUST DUMP ‘ONE CHINA’ POLICY AND RECOGNIZE ‘FREE’ TAIWAN, HOUSE REPUBLICANS SAY

The U.S. and China have long held conflicting views over the future of Taiwan. (Mark Schiefelbein/Pool via Reuters/File)

“We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. We support cross-Strait dialogue, and we expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to people on both sides of the Strait,” the statement continued.

TAIWAN FM HAILS IMPORTANCE OF US RELATIONSHIP, SAYS GROUP VISITS ‘CONTRIBUTE TO PEACE AND STABILITY’

The U.S. has long held a delicate stance regarding Taiwan and its relation to the Chinese mainland. It has for decades followed the “One China” policy, in which the U.S. recognizes Beijing as the sole government of China, and acknowledges but does not affirm Beijing’s claim to control over Taiwan.

Part of this understanding requires the U.S. to not have any formal diplomatic ties to Taiwan, a policy reflected in the lack of a U.S. embassy on the island.

President Donald Trump’s State Department appears to have removed a statement rejecting Taiwan’s independence. (Getty)

Nevertheless, the U.S. has funded Taiwan’s defense and worked with Western nations to prevent mainland China from taking over. Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly stated that he is open to using military force to conquer the island.

TRUMP CABINET PICKS DELIGHT TAIWAN, SEND STRONG SIGNAL TO CHINA

Taiwan, which has its own democratically elected government, maintains that it is its own independent country. Taiwan first became a self-governed island after pro-democracy forces fled there in 1949 after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong and his Chinese Communist Party.

Taiwan Air Force Mirage fighter jets taxi on a runway at an airbase in Hsinchu, Taiwan. China makes air incursions near Taiwan on an almost daily basis. (AP Photo/Johnson Lai)

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The U.S. has relied on symbolic rejections of China’s control over Taiwan in recent years. Just last week, two U.S. Navy vessels sailed in the Taiwan Strait between the island and the mainland, as did a Canadian vessel. Both actions drew criticism from Beijing.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

February 17, 2025
DOGE puts DEI on chopping block with termination of over $370M in education department grants

In just 48 hours, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) slashed a whopping $370 million in taxpayer dollars being spent on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the Department of Education.

DOGE, the newly formed department led by Elon Musk to purge spending by the federal government, revealed in a post on X that they terminated 70 DEI training grants within the department.

According to DOGE, the grants totaled $373 million.

One grant was reportedly funding training for teachers to “engage in ongoing learning and self-reflection to confront their own biases and racism, and develop asset-based anti-racist mindsets,” the cost-cutting department said.

DOGE SLASHES OVER $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: ‘WIN FOR EVERY STUDENT’

Elon Musk has been slashing costs at the Department of Education. (Getty Images)

Over the past several weeks, DOGE has announced the canceling of various streams of funding to DEI in education, including $9.7 million for UC Berkeley to develop “a cohort of Cambodian youth with enterprise driven skills.”

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WARNS THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS MUST REMOVE DEI POLICIES OR LOSE FEDERAL FUNDING

The latest spending sweep comes just days after DOGE announced the termination of another 89 DOE contracts totaling $881 million, which included more than $100 million in DEI grants.

The Department of Education building is seen on Aug. 21, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

“Hurrah” Heather Higgins, CEO of Independent Women’s Voice, wrote in a post on X in response to the latest DOGE cuts.

The Education Department has been cracking down on DEI practices in education, ordering all 50 state education departments last week to remove DEI policies within 14 days or risk losing federal funding.

President Donald Trump, right, speaks as Elon Musk listens in the Oval Office at the White House on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Alex Brandon)

The letter said the “overt and covert racial discrimination that has become widespread in this nation’s educational institutions” will no longer be tolerated.

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“The law is clear: treating students differently on the basis of race to achieve nebulous goals such as diversity, racial balancing, social justice, or equity is illegal under controlling Supreme Court precedent,” the letter reads.

Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.

Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

February 17, 2025
Department of Education probing some Virginia school districts over gender identity policies

The U.S. Department of Education is launching an investigation into several school districts in northern Virginia over allegations of refusing to follow President Donald Trump’s executive order banning gender identity policies.

The department’s Office for Civil Rights opened an enforcement investigation into the school districts, according to Fox 5 DC.

The districts include Arlington County Public Schools, Alexandria City Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, Loudoun County Public Schools and Prince William County Public Schools.

This comes after the conservative nonprofit America First Legal filed a complaint accusing several schools in Virginia of keeping policies promoting gender identity in place in violation of the president’s mandate.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WARNS THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS MUST REMOVE DEI POLICIES OR LOSE FEDERAL FUNDING

The U.S. Department of Education building is seen on August 21, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

The complaint argues that the districts are violating Title IX of the higher education act of 1972 that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools and Trump’s executive order titled “Ending Racial Indoctrination in K-12 Schools,” which called on some federal agencies to develop a plan to eliminate the “instruction, advancement or promotion of gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology” in K-12 schools receiving federal funding.

America First Legal stresses that the federal government prohibits “instruction, advancement or promotion of gender ideology” — as mentioned in Trump’s order — and argues that allowing biological boys to use girls’ restrooms and locker rooms is covered in this language.

TRUMP EDUCATION NOMINEE LINDA MCMAHON SAYS SHUTTING DOWN DOE WOULD ‘REQUIRE CONGRESSIONAL ACTION’

The U.S. Department of Education building in Washington, D.C. (STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

The group described the districts named in the complaint as radical and lawless and that the districts would rather “deny biology than teach it and one family agrees.”

Arlington Public Schools said it stands firmly behind its non-discrimination policies and remains committed to providing safe and welcoming schools for all students, according to Fox 5 DC. The district said it follows all federal laws with respect to Title IX.

Prince William County Public Schools said it will “cooperate with the investigation and remains committed to providing a welcoming, nurturing learning environment where all of our students feel safe and supported mentally, physically, and emotionally.”

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on February 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Alexandria City Public Schools said it “will respond to this investigation in accordance with applicable law.” Loudoun County Public Schools made a similar statement.

Fairfax County Public Schools said its policies “align with state and federal anti-discrimination laws and binding court precedent.”

February 17, 2025
Department of Education warns that public schools must remove DEI policies or lose federal funding

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The Department of Education is warning state education departments that they must remove diversity, equity and inclusion policies or risk losing federal funding.

A letter from the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights was sent to the departments of education in all 50 states, notifying them that they have no more than 14 days to comply. The letter was shared on social media by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.

“Institutions that fail to comply with federal civil rights law may, consistent with applicable law, face potential loss of federal funding,” Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights in the Department of Education, said in the letter.

The letter said the “overt and covert racial discrimination that has become widespread in this Nation’s educational institutions” will no longer be tolerated.

TRUMP EDUCATION NOMINEE LINDA MCMAHON SAYS SHUTTING DOWN DOE WOULD ‘REQUIRE CONGRESSIONAL ACTION’

The U.S. Department of Education building is seen in Washington, Nov. 18, 2024. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

It argues that a Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which found that affirmative action in Harvard University’s admission process violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, should apply more broadly.

“The law is clear: treating students differently on the basis of race to achieve nebulous goals such as diversity, racial balancing, social justice, or equity is illegal under controlling Supreme Court precedent,” the letter reads.

DEMS SPAR OVER DOGE CUTS WITH TRUMP EDUCATION NOMINEE LINDA MCMAHON

The U.S. Department of Education building is seen on August 21, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

Trainor said the Department of Education will “vigorously enforce the law on equal terms as to all preschool, elementary, secondary, and postsecondary educational institutions, as well as state educational agencies, that receive financial assistance.”

The letter urges state education departments to “ensure that their policies and actions comply with existing civil rights law … cease all efforts to circumvent prohibitions on the use of race by relying on proxies or other indirect means to accomplish such ends” and “cease all reliance on third-party contractors, clearinghouses, or aggregators that are being used by institutions in an effort to circumvent prohibited uses of race.”

The U.S. Department of Education building in Washington, D.C. (STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

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The letter comes after President Donald Trump signed executive orders directing agencies to provide a plan to eliminate federal funding for “illegal and discriminatory treatment and indoctrination in K-12 schools, including based on gender ideology and discriminatory equity ideology.” He also signed orders to end DEI programs in federal agencies.

The Department of Education previously announced the removal of mention of DEI from documents and websites. The department also placed employees that led DEI initiatives on leave and dissolved its Diversity & Inclusion Council.

February 15, 2025
Justice Department moves to case against Eric Adams

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Federal prosecutors on Friday asked a judge to drop the Justice Department’s case against New York Mayor Eric Adams, following the departure of several prosecutors who opted to resign rather than follow through with bringing the charges against Adams.

The news comes after a federal prosecutor, Hagan Scotten, resigned Friday in a scathing letter, accusing top DOJ officials of looking for a “fool.”

“Any assistant U.S. attorney would know that our laws and traditions do not allow using the prosecutorial power to influence other citizens, much less elected officials, in this way,” Scotten told acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove.

Adams reacted to the news of his indictment being dropped Friday, clarifying that he had not made a deal to drop his case.

“I want to be crystal clear with New Yorkers: I never offered — nor did anyone offer on my behalf — any trade of my authority as your mayor for an end to my case. Never,” Adam’s said in a statement released.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle called the decision to dismiss Adam’s’ indictment as “yet another indication that this DOJ will return to its core function of prosecuting dangerous criminals, not pursuing politically motivated witch hunts.”

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“The fact that those who indicted and prosecuted the case refused to follow a direct command is further proof of the disordered and ulterior motives of the prosecutors, Such individuals have no place at DOJ,” Mizelle said in a statement released Friday.

This is a breaking news story. Check back soon for updates.

February 15, 2025
Trump’s Justice Department order to drop charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams sparks mass resignations

Several senior Justice Department officials resigned in protest Thursday rather than comply with an order to drop a bribery case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

The acts of resistance came amid President Donald Trump’s effort to overhaul the agency, which he said has been weaponized against political opponents, Reuters reported.

The six resignations include Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, Trump’s pick to temporarily lead the office prosecuting Adams, who resigned her post on Thursday, according to the memorandum by Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, a Trump appointee.

SENATE CONFIRMS PAM BONDI AS US ATTORNEY GENERAL

U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, via Southern District of New York

“I remain baffled by the rushed and superficial process by which this decision was reached,” Sassoon wrote in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Adams, a Democrat who said he was targeted by the Biden administration, has been willing to work with the Trump administration crackdown to curb illegal immigration. Adams pleaded not guilty to charges that he accepted bribes from Turkish officials.

“Rather than be rewarded, Adams’s advocacy should be called out for what it is: an improper offer of immigration enforcement assistance in exchange for a dismissal of his case,” Sassoon wrote to Bondi.

Adams’ lawyer Alex Spiro said in an email to Reuters that the charges against his client are a “sham.”

“If SDNY had any proof whatsoever that the mayor destroyed evidence, they would have brought those charges—as they continually threatened to do, but didn’t, over months and months,” Spiro wrote. “This newest false claim is just the parting shot of a misguided prosecution exposed as a sham.”

In his Thursday memo, Bove wrote that Sassoon had refused to comply with what he called his office’s finding that the case against Adams amounted to weaponization of the justice system.

“Your resignation is accepted…you lost sight of the oath that you took when you started at the DOJ,” he wrote.

“Your office has no authority to contest the weaponization finding,” wrote Bove, Trump’s former personal criminal defense lawyer. “The Justice Department will not tolerate the insubordination.”

DOJ DIRECTS FBI TO FIRE 8 TOP OFFICIALS, IDENTIFY EMPLOYEES INVOLVED IN JAN. 6, HAMAS CASES FOR REVIEW

The seal for the Justice Department is photographed in Washington, Nov. 18, 2022. The Justice Department has announced three arrests in a complex stolen identity scheme that officials say generates enormous proceeds for the North Korean government, including for its weapons program. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

After Sassoon refused to dismiss the case, the Trump administration directed John Keller, the acting head of the Justice Department’s public corruption unit, to do so, according to people familiar with the matter.

Keller also resigned on Thursday, two people familiar with the matter said, as well as Kevin Driscoll, a senior official in the department’s criminal division.

Three other deputies in the Justice Department’s public corruption unit – Rob Heberle, Jenn Clarke, and Marco Palmieri – also resigned on Thursday over the Adams case, a person familiar with the matter said.

A Justice Department official confirmed Keller’s and Driscoll’s resignations, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the other three.

On Monday, president-elect Trump said he would consider a pardon for New York City Mayor Eric Adams. (Getty Images)

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. Since taking office in January, Trump has fired more than a dozen federal prosecutors who pursued cases against him.

In a statement to Fox News, Bove said he concluded that the prosecution against Adams had to be dismissed in order to “prioritize national security and public safety over continuing with a case that has been tainted from the start by troubling tactics.”

“There is no room at the Justice Department for attorneys who refuse to execute on the priorities of the Executive Branch – priorities determined by the American people,” he said. “I look forward to working with new leadership at SDNY on the important priorities President Trump has laid out for us to make America safe again.”

Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report.

February 14, 2025
4 dead, 26 injured in explosion at upscale Taiwan department store

A gas explosion at a department store in Taiwan on Thursday killed four people and injured 26, fire authorities said.

The blast occurred at the food court on the 12th floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store in Taichung city, the Taichung Fire Bureau said. The higher floors of the upscale department store were blown out, raining debris on pedestrians below.

Among the dead were two people visiting from Macau, Macao’s Tourism Office confirmed Thursday. Local media reported that they were part of a family of seven who were there for tourism. The other five were also injured are now being treated at local hospitals in Taichung.

TAIWAN AIR FORCE OFFICER KILLED AFTER BEING ‘INHALED’ BY FIGHTER JET’S ENGINE

Part of the store was under renovation, but it’s not clear if the work was connected to the explosion, Taichung Vice Mayor Cheng Chao-hsin told reporters at the scene. “If it’s found there were illegal actions or parts that violated renovation regulations, it will be dealt with appropriately,” Cheng said.

This image taken from video by Taiwan’s TVBS shows the damaged facade of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store after an explosion in Taichung city in Taiwan on Thursday, Feb 13, 2025. (TVBS via AP)

Dozens of firefighters were deployed to the scene at about 11:30 a.m. Parts of the building’s exterior were damaged and scattered fragments were strewn on the streets.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen told reporters at the scene that she felt the shock at her office nearby. She said the fire bureau would focus on a rescue operation first, but an investigation was also underway and officers were checking whether there were other sources of danger.

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Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said he had asked all relevant government agencies to investigate the cause of the accident.

February 13, 2025
State Department omits ‘armored Tesla’ mention from 2025 budget procurement

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk unpack the goal of the Department of Government Efficiency live from the Oval Office.

As Tesla, SpaceX and now Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leader Elon Musk has faced recent criticism for his role in the Trump administration, one of his top-earning companies seems to have been scrubbed from the State Department’s budget forecast.

The State Department released an updated version of its “Procurement Forecast Fiscal Year 2025” this week, noting that there’s a “new” requirement for “armored electric vehicles” set to receive between $100 million to $500 million in investments.

Multiple news organizations have reported that a December version of the document had the line item listed as “armored Teslas,” valued at $400 million with a five-year contract. That requirement description has since been changed.

The original line item additionally did not specify what kind of armored Tesla models would be purchased.

MUSK CLAIMS THERE ARE 150-YEAR-OLDS RECEIVING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

In response to the news, Musk posted on X Thursday: “I’m pretty sure Tesla isn’t getting $400M. No one mentioned it to me, at least.”

The State Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that neither Tesla nor any other automaker has been awarded a government contract for “armored electric vehicles.” (Getty Images)

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the original generic entry should have read “electric vehicle manufacturer,” and that no government contract has been awarded to Tesla or any other automaker.

The spokesperson also said that the previous administration asked the State Department to explore interest from private companies to produce armored electric vehicles. In response to that request, a public request for information was issued to solicit interest and they received notice from only one company at that time.

As a next step in that process, the State Department spokesperson added that official solicitation would be sent out to automakers for bidding. However, the solicitation is “on hold and there are no current plans to issue it.”

According to its website, the State Department forecast is updated annually in the first quarter of the fiscal year.

Democratic Party leaders have launched profanity-laced attacks against Musk and his actions under the DOGE chair title. The budget-slashing department has targeted multiple federal agencies within the first two months of President Donald Trump taking office, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., shares his take on the Democratic Party’s ongoing meltdown over DOGE on ‘The Evening Edit.’

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said, “Elon Musk is a Nazi nepo baby, a godless lawless billionaire, who no one elected,” at a rally outside the Treasury Department, where protesters were speaking out against DOGE.

“Elon, this is the American people. This is not your trashy Cybertruck that you can just dismantle, pick apart, and sell the pieces of,” she continued.

“We are gonna be in your face, we are gonna be on your a–es, and we are going to make sure you understand what democracy looks like, and this ain’t it,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said at the same rally.

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Dominari Financial CEO Kyle Wool analyzes Tesla and provides his outlook for Big Tech earnings on ‘Varney & Co.’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was also in attendance and told the crowd that Musk’s DOGE efforts are “taking away everything we have.”

On Wednesday, Musk visited the Oval Office to speak with members of the press and answer questions around DOGE, where he reiterated his belief that it’s not “optional” but “essential” to cut federal spending.

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Fox News’ Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.

February 13, 2025
Trump Education Department launches Title IX probes into 2 blue states allegedly ignoring trans athlete order

The United States Department of Education has launched Title IX investigations into athletic associations in California and Minnesota after they said they would ignore President Donald Trump’s executive order to keep transgender athletes out of girls and women’s sports.

The Minnesota State High School League announced Thursday it will continue to allow transgender athletes to compete against girls despite Trump’s executive order to probibit them from doing so.

That came just days after the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) said it will continue to follow the state’s law that allows athletes to participate as whichever gender they identify as.

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Donald Trump (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

“The Minnesota State High School League and the California Interscholastic Federation are free to engage in all the meaningless virtue-signaling that they want, but at the end of the day they must abide by federal law,” said Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights.

“(The Office of Civil Rights’) Chicago and San Francisco regional offices will conduct directed investigations into both organizations to ensure that female athletes in these states are treated with the dignity, respect and equality that the Trump administration demands. I would remind these organizations that history does not look kindly on entities and states that actively opposed the enforcement of federal civil rights laws that protect women and girls from discrimination and harassment.”

The Department of Education added that state laws do not override federal anti-discrimination laws, so the associations are subject to investigations.

Trump signed the executive order on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which celebrates female athletes in women’s sports and those committed to providing equal access to sports for all females.

President Donald Trump signs the No Men in Women’s Sports executive order into law in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 5, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)

The order states that “it is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities” and to take “all appropriate action to affirmatively protect all-female athletic opportunities and all-female locker rooms and thereby provide the equal opportunity guaranteed by Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972.”

Prior to Trump signing the order Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said part of the motivation behind Trump’s executive order would be to create a “pressure campaign” for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and NCAA to follow and prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.

In response to Trump’s order, the NCAA changed its policy, in place since 2010, to disallow transgender athletes from competing against women, requiring them to compete based on their birth gender.

During Trump’s ceremony at the White House to sign the executive order, he announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will prohibit any transgender athletes attempting to compete as women from entering the country for the Olympics in 2028.

Former President Donald Trump is joined onstage by Riley Gaines at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Texas, Aug. 6, 2022. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

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The United Nations released study findings saying nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of winning medals because they lost to transgender athletes.

Minnesota, governed by Kamala Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, was home to a Supreme Court case in which a transgender powerlifter was continuing in a fight to compete against biological women.

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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February 13, 2025