Maine Governor Janet Mills stood her ground against President Donald Trump over his executive order banning biological men from competing in women’s sports. But just hours after their tense exchange, the federal government struck back with a bombshell investigation.
During a high-stakes meeting with governors on Friday, Trump didn’t hold back when he called out Mills directly.
“Is Maine here, the governor of Maine?” Trump asked, before putting her on the spot about whether she would comply with his order.
Mills’ response was defiant: “We’ll comply with state and federal law.”
But Trump quickly fired back: “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.”
Their verbal sparring escalated when Mills boldly declared, “We’ll see you in court.” Trump, never one to back down, smirked and shot back, “Good! I’ll see you in court. That should be a really easy one. And enjoy your life after governor, because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”
Just hours after this dramatic exchange, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced a formal investigation into Maine’s compliance with Title IX. According to a federal news release, Maine is under scrutiny for allegedly allowing male athletes to compete in girls’ interscholastic athletics and for denying female athletes access to female-only facilities.
The investigation specifically named Greely High School, where at least one male student is reportedly competing in girls’ categories. Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, made it clear that Maine’s stance could cost them dearly.
“If Maine wants to continue to receive federal funds from the Education Department, it has to follow Title IX,” Trainor stated. “If it wants to forgo federal funds and continue to trample the rights of its young female athletes, that, too, is its choice.”
Trump, meanwhile, doubled down on his position. “They are still saying, ‘We want men to play in women’s sports,’ and I cannot believe that they’re doing that,” he said, vowing to strip federal funding until the policy is reversed.
With Maine now under federal investigation and Trump showing no signs of backing down, this battle is only just beginning.
