Newsom suggests withholding California’s share of federal tax dollars over potential grant cuts

Gov. Gavin Newsom is firing back at President Donald Trump over reports that the Trump administration is preparing to cancel several federal funds for California.

Agencies are reportedly being tasked with identifying which grants the administration can withhold from California, according to KTLA sister station YourCentralValley.com.

“This is political extortion — plain and simple,” Representative Laura Friedman, who represents California’s 30th Congressional District, said in a statement. “Californians pay $83 billion more in taxes than we receive from the federal government every year. America relies on our tax dollars — and now Trump wants to punish us for it.”

The latest back and forth between federal and state officials comes after President Trump railed against 16-year-old AB Hernandez, a junior at Jurupa Valley High School, who won the girls’ long jump and triple jump events at the California Interscholastic Federation’s Southern Section Masters on May 24, qualifying for the state championships that took place May 30-31, The Hill reported.

Hernandez went on to win two gold medals and a silver medal at the state track and field finals.

In February, Trump signed an executive order that states that “it is the policy of the United States to oppose male competitive participation in women’s sports” and threatens to “rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities.”

California is one of 22 states that have laws requiring transgender students to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity. The law was signed by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013.

According to Newsom’s office, out of the 5.8 million students in the state’s K-12 public school system, the number of active transgender student-athletes is estimated to be in the single digits.