Philadelphia: The Trump administration has announced a suspension of $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania, citing the university's policies in support of transgender athletes. This decision was revealed on Wednesday, with the White House sharing the announcement on X, emphasizing that the action was a response to the university's practices of permitting what they described as 'forcing women to compete with men in sports.'

According to Anadolu Agency, the White House statement emphasized, "Promises made, promises kept," highlighting the administration's commitment to its stance on the issue. The controversy stems from a transgender woman who triumphed in the US national college swimming championship in 2022 while representing the Ivy League institution based in Philadelphia.

An anonymous White House official noted in an email to journalists that the University of Pennsylvania had allowed a male to participate on its women's swimming team, breaking multiple longstanding records and granting access to the women's locker room. The funding in question was reportedly provided by the US Defense Department and the Department of Health and Human Services.

In response, the University of Pennsylvania stated it had not yet been officially informed about the funding suspension. The university maintained that it has consistently adhered to NCAA and Ivy League policies regarding student-athlete participation. The statement reiterated, "We have been in the past, and remain today, in full compliance with the regulations that apply not only to Penn, but all of our NCAA and Ivy League peer institutions."

This move follows another recent decision by the Trump administration to revoke approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University in New York, citing the institution's alleged failure to tackle antisemitism during pro-Palestinian demonstrations on its campus.