During a tense meeting with U.S. governors at the White House on Friday (February 21), the 78-year-old president warned Mills that failure to follow his directive would result in the loss of federal funding for Maine schools.
“Are you not going to comply with it?†Trump asked Mills directly.
“I’m complying with state and federal laws,†the 77-year-old governor responded.
Trump shot back: “We are federal law, you better do it. You better do it, because you’re not going to get federal funding… Your population doesn’t want men in women’s sports.â€
Mills refused to back down, telling the POTUS: “We’ll see you in court.â€
Trump speaking during the Governors meeting. Credit: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
“Good. I’ll see you in court. I’ll look forward to that. That should be a real easy one,†Trump responded. “And enjoy your life after, governor, because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.â€
Maine Pushes Back as Trump Administration Investigates the State
Hours after the confrontation, the Trump administration escalated tensions by launching a federal civil rights investigation into Maine’s Department of Education for alleged Title IX violations.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills didn’t back down. Credit: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Trump’s executive order, signed earlier this month, mandates a crackdown on transgender participation in women’s sports, calling it the “dangerous and unfair participation of men in women’s sportsâ€.
It directs federal agencies to take “immediate action†against schools and athletic associations that “deny women single-sex sports and single-sex locker rooms.â€
During the signing ceremony, Trump – flanked by young girls – declared that the “radical left†is trying to “erase the very concept of biological sex and replace it with a militant transgender ideologyâ€.
Trump surrounded by girls as he signs the “No Men in Women’s Sports†executive order. Credit: Andrew Harnik / Getty
This move is part of a broader series of policies targeting transgender Americans.
Other recent executive orders have banned gender-affirming healthcare for individuals under 19, reinstated a ban on transgender service members in the U.S. military, and sought to eliminate recognition of gender identity across federal agencies.
Maine officials have vowed to resist the federal pressure.
“If the president attempts to unilaterally deprive Maine school children of the benefit of federal funding, my administration and the attorney general will take all appropriate and necessary legal action to restore that funding and the academic opportunity it provides,†Mills said ahead of the meeting.
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey called Trump’s threats “illegal and in direct violation of federal court ordersâ€.
“Fortunately, the rule of law still applies in this country, and I will do everything in my power to defend Maine’s laws and block efforts by the president to bully and threaten us,†Frey said.
Reykal Speaks Out
Washington state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal strongly defended the inclusion of transgender athletes in girls’ sports during an address on Thursday, arguing that it is “inaccurate†to claim there are only two genders.
“It is quite simply inaccurate to say, biologically, that there are only boys and there are only girls,†Reykdal stated.
Trump has made many bold and divisive calls since regaining office. Credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty
He pointed to scientific evidence supporting gender diversity, explaining: “There’s a continuum. There’s a science to this. There are children who are born intersex. There are children whose hormones and whose chromosomes are not consistent with their sex at birth.â€
While acknowledging ongoing debates over the issue, Reykdal made it clear that Washington state laws protect students’ rights to participate in sports based on their gender identity.
“That’s not a debate we’re going to have today,†he said. “I just want to remind you of our civil rights obligations. Our state laws make clear that children get to identify and participate based on the gender in which they identify. We’re going to uphold that law.â€
Federal Crackdown on Transgender Athletes Continues
Trump’s latest order not only targets schools but also pressures major athletic organizations to ban transgender athletes. His administration is pushing the International Olympic Committee to bar trans competitors from the U.S. and has threatened to deny visas for trans athletes participating in the Olympic Games.
Craig Trainor, the acting Education Secretary for civil rights, reinforced the administration’s stance, stating: “Maine would have you believe that it has no choice in how it treats women and girls in athletics — that is, that it must follow its state laws and allow male athletes to compete against women and girls.
“Let me be clear: If Maine wants to continue to receive federal funds from the Education Department, it has to follow Title IX. If it wants to forgo federal funds and continue to trample the rights of its young female athletes, that, too, is its choice.â€
The U.S. is set to host the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
Trump’s sweeping policies have already faced multiple legal challenges, with judges blocking several attempts to deny transgender healthcare and housing protections. Now, with Maine prepared to take its fight to the courts, the battle over transgender rights in sports is set to become a defining issue of his presidency.