By Katherine Tinsley
12:09am PDT, Mar 21, 2025
_
According to reports, the White House will pause $175 million in taxpayer funding to the University of Pennsylvania due to the college's stance on trans athletes.
"UPenn infamously permitted a male to compete on its women's swimming team, overturning multiple records hard-earned by women, and granting the fully intact male access to the locker room," a White House official said.
"This is immediate proactive action to review discretionary funding streams to those universities," they added.
_
"Promises made, promises kept," the White House's account replied on Wednesday, March 19, as Donald Trump made a vocal commitment to protecting women in sports.
_
According to the New York Post, a spokesperson for the university had "not yet received any official notification or any details" about their funding changes.
"Penn has always followed NCAA and Ivy League policies regarding student participation on athletic teams," the rep added.
_
Trans swimmer Lia Thomas is at the center of the controversy after she and the University of Kentucky athlete Riley Gaines both came in fifth place at a swim meet.
"Three years ago to the day I raced and tied a man at the DI NCAA Championships in the 200 freestyle," Riley Gaines said on X on Wednesday, March 19.
"Today, the Trump administration paused $175M in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania for this reason," Gaines, who has become vocal about her experiences, added. "Serendipitous."
_
Former University of Pennsylvania swimmers Grace Estabrook, Margot Kaczorowski and Ellen Holmquist sued the University of Pennsylvania, claiming they were forced to compete with Lia Thomas.
"We are so glad that Universities are beginning to see that there is a cost to openly harming female students on their campuses and we hope the pressure only increases," the swimmers said in a statement Wednesday.
_
Lia Thomas has become an advocate for trans athletes, but her former teammates are passionate about not swimming with her.
"Penn and other universities within the NCAA, under NCAA policy and their own rogue leadership, have violated federal law and hurt women. They have knowingly stolen opportunities and awards from women, placed women in physical danger and facilitated the s***** harassment of female student-athletes," Grace Estabrook, Margot Kaczorowski and Ellen Holmquist stated.
"Every woman on a college campus and under NCAA regulations should be assured of Title IX protections," they added. "Institutions that disregard the well-being of women have to understand they don't get to rewrite or ignore federal protections that women rely on."
_
Donald Trump has spoken out about this matter, even signing an executive order banning trans women from competing.
"We will not allow men to beat up, injure and cheat our women and our girls. From now on, women's sports will be only for women," Trump said at the signing ceremony. "With this executive order, the war on women's sports is over."
