President Donald Trump is keeping up the pressure on Maine to comply with his executive order banning men from women’s sports.
In February, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills threw defiance in Trump’s face by saying that she had no intention of complying with Trump’s order barring men who claim they are women from playing in women’s sports.
Trump said that while the state has been somewhat responsive, there is more to do.
“While the State of Maine has apologized for their Governor’s strong, but totally incorrect, statement about men playing in women’s sports while at the White House House Governor’s Conference, we have not heard from the Governor herself, and she is the one that matters in such cases,” Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social.
“Therefore, we need a full throated apology from the Governor herself, and a statement that she will never make such an unlawful challenge to the Federal Government again, before this case can be settled.”
“I’m sure she will be able to do that quite easily. Thank you for your attention to this matter and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” Trump wrote.
The University of Maine System, comprised of eight public universities, was warned by the Department of Agriculture that its $30 million federal funding could be in danger if it was not abiding by Trump’s executive order that banned men from playing in women’s sports, according to The Hill.
A subsequent news release from the Department of Agriculture said the colleges were abiding by Trump’s order.
“UMaine’s decision to side with sanity is a win for women and girls in Maine,” the release said.
The state’s public schools are battling with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, which on Wednesday demanded Maine get its act together.
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In a letter to Maine’s Department of Education, Bradley Burke, regional director of the Office of Civil Rights, wrote that “evidence supports a conclusion of noncompliance with Title IX by MDOE. OCR notes that public school districts throughout the State of Maine that receive federal financial assistance and have policies or practices that allow boys to participate in girls’ athletics programs and/or deny female students access to female-only intimate facilities, are similarly in violation of Title IX.”
“Should MDOE fail to direct the public school districts in its jurisdiction to adopt and implement policies and practices that comply with Title IX, OCR may initiate additional investigations into such school districts,” the letter said.
The letter said Maine’s interpretation of the rules has “resulted and continue to result in girls and young women throughout Maine having no school sports teams, events, or categories for which eligibility to join and participate is open only to female students.
“Rather, Maine female student-athletes train, practice, try out, compete, and strive for success in a school athletics system that refuses to give girls and young women the genuine opportunity to benefit from school sports that Title IX requires,” the letter continued.
The letter gave Maine until March 29 to comply, or face a referral to the Department of Justice and the potential end of federal funding to Maine schools.
At a February meeting with governors at the White House, Trump and Mills clashed, according to a video posted on X.
Trump asked Mills if she would comply with his order banning transgender athletes from women’s sports.
“You better do it — because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t.” —47 https://t.co/PCYNzzjlUD pic.twitter.com/lCC8HCQnNP
— GEORGE NEWS (@TheGeorgeHQ) February 21, 2025
“We’ll comply with state and federal law,” Mills replied.
“Well, we are the federal law. … You better do it because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t,” Trump said. “And by the way, your population, even though it’s somewhat liberal, although I did very well there, your population doesn’t want men playing in women’s sports, so you’d better comply because otherwise you’re not getting any, any federal funding.”
“We’ll see you in court,” Mills replied.
“Good! I’ll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a really easy one,” Trump said. “And enjoy your life after governor because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”
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