President Trump’s administration has taken legal action against the state of Minnesota and its high school sports authority concerning their policies on transgender athlete participation.

Lawsuit Targets Title IX Compliance

The lawsuit alleges that Minnesota is in violation of Title IX by permitting transgender athletes who were assigned male at birth to compete in girls’ sports and utilize female locker room facilities. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated on social media, “The Trump Administration does not tolerate flawed state policies that ignore biological reality and unfairly undermine girls on the playing field.”

Administration's Stance and Funding Threat

This legal challenge is a significant step toward potentially withholding over $3 billion in federal funding from Minnesota’s Department of Education, as the Department of Justice indicates the state receives this amount annually. In March, President Trump expressed his concerns, stating, “Open borders, transgender for everybody and they want to have men play in women’s sports.”

Minnesota's Response

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison countered the lawsuit, describing it as “just a sad attempt to get attention over something that’s already been in litigation for months.”

Executive Order and Campaign Promise

Banning biological males from competing in women’s sports was a key pledge during Trump’s campaign. In February 2025, he signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which established federal mandates. This included the potential revocation of federal funding from any educational institution allowing transgender girls to compete on female teams.

International Olympic Committee Alignment

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also recently announced a new policy, effectively banning transgender women from competing in female categories at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Kirsty Coventry, President of the IOC, explained, “The Olympic games has a focus on elite sport and in elite sport we must ensure the fairness, safety and integrity of all competitions within the games.” This policy aligns with the mandates outlined in Trump’s executive order.

Additional Legal Actions

Beyond Minnesota, the Trump administration is pursuing similar legal action against California and Maine regarding their respective policies on transgender participation in sports.