The Trump administration is freezing $175 million in taxpayer funding to the University of Pennsylvania for defying the president’s executive action and continuing to let transgender athletes compete in women’s sports.
The funding makes up nearly one-fifth of the Ivy League university’s overall federal monies received last year. Those payments came from the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services, according to FOX Business.
“Promises made, promises kept,” the White House’s account posted on X Wednesday, March 19.
UPenn took roughly $1 billion in federal funds in 2024, but more taxpayer money could be yanked amid a broader probe by the Trump admin into other possible Title IX violations by the Department of Education.
Trump, 78, signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” on Feb. 5 before those investigations were launched.
The elite school became the center of the controversy over transgender athlete participation after one of its male swimmers changed genders and joined the women’s team before going on to win an NCAA Division I title.
Trans swimmer Lia Thomas won the women’s 500-yard freestyle after transitioning before the 2022 season.
Thomas also went on to tie for fifth place against University of Kentucky female swimmer Riley Gaines, who has since become an outspoken opponent of trans athlete inclusion in women’s sports.
“Three years ago to the day I raced and tied a man at the DI NCAA Championships in the 200 freestyle,” Gaines posted Wednesday, March 19, on X.
“Today, the Trump administration paused $175M in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania for this reason. Serendipitous.”
The Department Of Education is also targeting San Jose State University for Title IX issues after it allowed a trans volleyball player to compete on its women’s team.
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association may also have run afoul of the federal sex-based nondiscrimination law.
The move by Trump admin officials comes after the president also put universities in Maine in the crosshairs over possible Title IX violations.
Last month, the commander-in-chief kicked off a probe that could end with Maine schools losing $250 million in annual federal funding.
Trump had knocked the state’s Democratic Gov. Janet Mills over transgender athletic policies during a governors’ summit at the White House in February.
“You better comply! Because otherwise, you’re not getting any federal funding,” he told Mills.
The Maine governor fired back: “See you in court!”
