Violent protests have descended on a California schoolgirl competition after a teenage trans athlete thrashed her female rivals in defiance of Donald Trump‘s executive order.
AB Hernandez, 17, sealed her place in three finals yesterday – high jump, long jump and triple jump – after coming out on top in all of her preliminary heats. This included a triple jump of 41 feet – nearly 10 inches further than her closest rival.
The dramatic row has sparked fury across the US, with Trump even threatening to hold back ‘large scale Federal Funding’ and blasting the state governor who he claims has continued to ‘ILLEGALLY allow “MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS”‘.
Hernansez’s glamorous mother, who has also been confronted by angry parents whose daughters are losing out on gold medals, yesterday responded to the dramatic onslaught. She slammed the President’s ‘weapons of harm’ and saying her daughter had become the ‘target of a national campaign of cruelty’.
Hernandez has previously faced controversy from her own competitors – with a teenage girl they beat to first place waited for her rival to get down from the top of the podium before posing up there herself.
And as protesters descended on the California Interscholastic Federation state finals police were dramatically called in – with protesters ‘turning physical’ and even using pepper spray.
They arrested one alleged LGBTQ activist, who is accused of shattering a car window with a flag pole – as Sergeant Chris Hutchison of Clovis Police Department said he doesn’t ‘have room for violence.’
Videos of the alleged attack show a masked protestor with a trans flag walking up to a car before thrusting it through the window. The person in the car claims that they responded with pepper spray.
As the girls took to the field, a plane even flew a banner across the high school track-and-field championships stating ‘No boys in girls sports’. While the girl competed she was heckled by gathered activists and others wore ‘Save Girls´ Sports’ T-shirts.
A banner protesting a transgender athlete’s participation in the California high school track-and-field championships was flown over the meet in Clovis Friday
AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley qualified for three event finals: long jump, high jump and triple jump
Her participation continued to spark outrage as protestors voiced their furious opposition
The nation is now holding its breath as the finals will kick off today – with Hernandez predicted to dominate her categories.
In February, Trump signed an executive order banning trans athletes from women’s sports called ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports’.
The pledge was one of Trump’s most popular rallying cries during the 2024 election campaign and his move to follow through on his vow was celebrated by many sports fans.
Ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the Department of Homeland Security has been ordered to ‘reject any and all visa applications made by men attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying as women athletes’.
As well as her triple jump triumph, the teenager also led in the long jump with a mark close to 20 feet to advance to the final. She advanced in the high jump, clearing 5 feet, 5 inches with ease.
The controversial Jurupa Valley track star has been outspoken about transgender women participating in female sports in the past.
In a recent interview with Capital & Main, Hernandez said: ‘There’s nothing I can do about people’s actions, just focus on my own.
‘I’m still a child, you’re an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person.’
Nereyda lambasted Trump on her Instagram where she advocates for LGBTQ+ rights for targeting her child in a ‘campaign of national cruelty’
The transgender athlete is pictured competing in the high jump at Buchanan High School
In reference to placing first, Hernandez said: ‘All I thought was, “I don’t think you understand that this puts your idiotic claims to trash. She can’t be beat because she’s biologically male.” Now you have no proof that I can’t be beat.’
Trump’s tirade came after his Executive Order titled Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports – as he demanded Governor Gavin Newsom, who he calls ‘Newscum’, should stop allowing transgender student-athletes to compete in sex-segregated sports
‘California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow “MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS,”‘ he wrote on May 27.
‘This week a transitioned Male athlete, at a major event, won “everything,” and is now qualified to compete in the “State Finals” next weekend. As a Male, he was a less than average competitor. As a Female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable.’
Then, he added in all caps, ‘THIS IS NOT FAIR AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS.’
Trump went on to threaten: ‘Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to.
‘The Governor, himself, said it is “UNFAIR.” I will speak to him today to find out which way he wants to go??? In the meantime, I am ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow the transitioned person to compete in the State Finals. This is a totally ridiculous situation!!!’
Following through on his threat, the DOJ announced yesterday that it would be ramping up an investigation into the state’s high school sports amid fears of Title IX violations.
Hernansez’s glamorous mother, who has also been confronted by angry parents whose daughters are losing out on gold medals, yesterday responded to the dramatic onslaught
Hernandez sealed her place in the finals of high jump, long jump and triple jump events
Nereyda was incensed by Trump’s post, saying he needed to ‘set aside your Bible and your politics’ and that he was utilizing those as ‘weapons of harm’
The mother also criticized him for targeting her child and demanded that as President he needed to protect all children ‘not just ones that fit a political narrative’
But Nereyda said the President he needed to ‘open your heart and mind to learn about the LGBTQ+ community’.
The mother wrote: ‘From the people living these lives with courage, love and dignity. As a leader of this country, you have the power to unite, to educate, and to uplift rather than destroy.
‘Hate has no place in leadership and NO child, ESPECIALLY not MINE, should become the target of a national campaign of cruelty just because they are different. We need a president who protects ALL children, not just the ones that fit a political narrative.’
She ended by saying, ‘We must choose unity over division, love over hate, and humanity over politics.
‘My child is not a threat; SHE IS LIGHT!!! As AB’s mother, I will continue to stand by her, proudly fiercely, and unconditionally.’ At the end of the post, it was signed ‘AB’s Mom’ with a heart emoji.
Nereyda declined to give a comment to DailyMail.com but stated: ‘I’m sure you can understand where I am coming from.
‘My Primary responsibility is to protect AB’s wellbeing, privacy, and dignity and we have decided to respectfully decline an interview.’
Yesterday’s event sparked shocking scenes when at least one protestor was reportedly detained by Clovis Police Department.
AB Hernandez’s mom Nere has clapped back at President Trump after he railed on Truth Social about her qualifying for California’s track and field state finals as a transgender woman
Trump’s Executive Order Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports bars transgender female athletes from competing in women’s or girl’s sporting events – which caused Trump to say in his tirade against Hernandez that he would pull federal funding from California
The person, said to be an LGBTQ activist, is accused of shattering a car window with a flag pole, according to Fox news.
They have been arrested for assault with a weapon and obstructing a police, according to Sergeant Chris Hutchison, who said the department doesn’t ‘have room for violence.’
‘This afternoon at 3:55PM, a disturbance between two adults occurred at the intersection of Nees/Minnewawa,’ a statement, via the outlet, read.
‘One adult on the sidewalk and one in a vehicle at the intersection became involved in a disturbance that turned physical.
‘During the disturbance, one of them used pepper spray against the other. EMS was called and one of the adults was arrested.’
During the meet, which took place at the school’s Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis, a plane carrying a banner featuring the message ‘CIF: NO BOYS IN GIRLS’ SPORTS’ flew in circles overhead throughout Hernandez’s high jump event – her first of the day, which began at 3pm local time.
The banner action, arranged by women-led advocacy groups The Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) and Women Are Real (WAR), took aim at the CIF for ‘undermining the integrity of women’s sports.’
‘This is not equality. This is appeasement,’ said Julie Lane, spokesperson for Women Are Real, said in a statement to DailyMail.com. ‘Girls should not need a workaround or a second-tier medal ceremony to participate in their own sport.’
Hernandez waiting to compete at the girl’s long jump during the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet on May 24, which allowed her to qualify for the state championships
Donald Trump had ordered California authorities to block her from competing in the meet
Meanwhile, a group of around 10 demonstrators gathered outside Veterans Memorial Stadium to protest Hernandez’s inclusion, according to the Orange County Register.
Some of them wore ‘Save Girls´ Sports’ T-shirts. At one point as Hernandez was attempting a high jump, someone in the stands yelled an insult.
‘I wouldn’t need to know a single thing about AB Hernandez other than the fact that AB Hernandez is male in a female competition,’ Blake Nestell, a Fresno resident, told the outlet at the event Friday.
Earlier this week, Donald Trump lambasted California as he threatened to yank federal funding to the state unless it adhered to his Executive Order titled Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.
AB Hernandez, as a girl in the Varsity Long Jump category, had a seed mark of 19′ 3.5′ and in the triple jump category 40′ 4.75′. If she had, as a biological male, competed against the boys in this year’s championship, AB would not have qualified in this weekend’s championships.
In track and field, a ‘seed mark’ refers to an athlete’s performance level, typically their fastest time or best distance achieved in a previous meet, used to arrange athletes into heats or sections for a competition.
This helps in creating fairer competition by grouping athletes with similar abilities together.
