Newsom threatens to cut off state funding to California universities that sign Trump's college compact

California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, responded Thursday via a statement to the president's Donald Trump, which states that all higher education institutions that agree to certain changes may receive priority federal funding. The left-leaning leader detailed that the agreement was extremist, threatening any California university that signs it with losing billions of dollars in state funding, in what represents a new episode in the battle Trump and Newsom have been waging since the president's second term.

"IF ANY CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY SIGNS THIS RADICAL AGREEMENT, THEY’LL LOSE BILLIONS IN STATE FUNDING — INCLUDING CAL GRANTS — INSTANTLY. CALIFORNIA WILL NOT BANKROLL SCHOOLS THAT SELL OUT THEIR STUDENTS, PROFESSORS, RESEARCHERS, AND SURRENDER ACADEMIC FREEDOM," Newsom said in a statement.

The Trump administration's demands on universities

The Trump pact was sent Thursday to nine universities, including the University of Southern California. The Republican administration noted that it will be available to more centers in the future and detailed that, in order to join, universities will have to modify several aspects of their institutions, including not only admissions and hiring processes, but also banning transgender women from participating on women's sports teams.

Other Trump Administration demands include that universities engage in various reforms for a "vibrant marketplace of ideas"and even freeze tuition for five years and cap foreign student enrollments at 15 percent. The White House noted that any university that signs the Republican administration's 10-point memo, revealed by The Wall Street Journal this Thursday, will have preferential treatment in federal grant funding.