WASHINGTON -- At a White House event attended by a bipartisan group of governors, President Donald Trump engaged in a brief verbal exchange with Democratic Maine Governor Janet Mills. The confrontation arose after Trump threatened to withhold federal funds from Maine over its stance on transgender athletes.
The incident occurred as President Trump discussed his executive order, which bans transgender athletes from participating in women's sports. During the discussion, Trump directly questioned Governor Mills, asking, "Are you not going to comply with that?"
Governor Mills responded by asserting that she would comply with both state and federal laws. Trump retorted, "Well, I'm -- we are the federal law," adding, "Well, you better do it. You better do it because you're not going to get any federal funding at all if you don't."
Mills countered with, "See you in court." Trump replied confidently, "Good, I'll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be an easy one. And enjoy your life after governor, because I don't think you'll be in elected politics," Trump concluded.
Following the White House gathering, Governor Mills released a statement addressing Trump's threat to withhold federal funding. "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. The State of Maine will not be intimidated by the President's threats," Mills declared.
On the same day, the Department of Education issued a letter to a Maine education official, announcing a directed investigation into the Maine Department of Education. This probe comes amid allegations that the state continues to allow male athletes to compete in girls' interscholastic athletics, as stated in a department news release.
The department specifically cited a Maine high school, which is reportedly permitting at least one male student to compete in girls' sports categories.
Earlier this month, Trump signed the Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports order. This directive instructs federal agencies to interpret federal Title IX rules as prohibiting the participation of transgender girls and women in female sports categories.
For further reading, refer to the recent changes in the NCAA's transgender policy, which limits women's competition to athletes assigned female at birth.
