Will President Trump Call Out Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Over Male Athletes in Girls’ Sports?
Minnesota is one of multiple states under investigation for Title IX violations.
(MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.) – As a transgender-identifying male athlete leads a Minnesota girls' softball team to the state championship, all eyes are on President Donald Trump to see whether he will publicly call out Governor Tim Walz — just as he has done with the governors of California and Maine.
Marissa Rothenberger, a male junior pitcher who identifies as a girl, has thrown back-to-back complete games this week, helping Champlin Park High School to secure a spot in the Class AAAA Minnesotastate title game. Rothenberger’s participation has sparked outrage from parents, athletes and legal advocates who say allowing male athletes in girls' sports is a clear violation of federal law.
And according to Trump's own administration, they're right.
President Trump’s Executive Order On Women's Sports & Federal Crackdown
Back in February, Trump signed an executive order banning males from competing in girls' and women's sports, citing Title IX protections for female athletes. The order made clear that any state failing to comply would risk losing federal funding.
Minnesota didn’t flinch.
The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) announced that it would continue allowing student-athletes to compete in events consistent with their gender identity, regardless of biological sex. The league cited the Minnesota Human Rights Act and the state constitution as the basis for its policy. As a result, male athletes like Rothenberger are eligible to participate in girls' divisions at all levels of high school competition — including the state tournament.
The Champlin Park Rebels celebrate after punching their ticket to the Minnesota state championship game.
(Photo by Amber Harding)
The Department of Education quickly launched a Title IX investigation into MSHSL, as well as the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), for policies that violate the executive order.
"The Minnesota State High School League and the California Interscholastic Federation are free to engage in all the meaningless virtue-signaling that they want, but at the end of the day they must abide by federal law," Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a statement.
"OCR’s [Office for Civil Rights] Chicago and San Francisco regional offices will conduct directed investigations into both organizations to ensure that female athletes in these states are treated with the dignity, respect, and equality that the Trump Administration demands."
Minnesota Doubles Down On Protections For Trans Athletes
Rather than comply, Minnesota chose to fight. State Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration and Attorney General Pam Bondi, claiming that the executive order unlawfully threatens federal funding and discriminates against "vulnerable children."
"Minnesota brings this lawsuit to stop President Trump and his administration from bullying vulnerable children in this state," Ellison said at a press conference.
RELATED: School Official Told Parents: No Signs, No Shirts, No Comments On Trans Softball Player
Governor Tim Walz, a longtime advocate of so-called transgender youth, has yet to comment on Rothenberger’s participation in this week’s tournament. OutKick reached out to Walz’s office but did not receive a response.
Will Walz Be Trump’s Next Target For Title IX Violations?
Of course, Minnesota is not the only state going toe-to-toe with the White House on women's sports.
Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills publicly exchanged words at an event in February after Trump called her out for not complying with the executive order.
"See you in court," Mills told him.
Trump also called out California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Truth Social after trans-identifying male track athlete AB Hernandez qualified for the state finals in three separate girls' events. Hernandez went on to win two of the events and finished second in the other.
Now, with Rothenberger preparing to take the mound in Friday’s state title game in Minnesota, many are wondering: Will Trump bring that same energy to Tim Walz?