Maine Governor fundraises after Trump dispute on trans sports: 'We’ll see him in court'
Maine Governor Janet Mills is pushing back against President Donald Trump after their public dispute over transgender participation in women’s sports. Trump threatened to cut federal funding to Maine for refusing to comply with his executive order.
Maine Governor Janet Mills has found herself at the center of a national political battle after clashing with President Donald Trump over transgender participation in women’s sports.
The confrontation, which was broadcast on national television, has sparked legal and political debates. While Maine’s governing body for high school athletics has rejected Trump’s directive, legal experts warn that defying the order could lead to Title IX investigations and potential federal consequences.
Governor Mills uses Trump dispute for fundraising
Their dispute escalated on Friday at the White House, following Trump’s announcement the night before that Maine would lose federal funding unless it complied with his directive to restrict biological males who identify as transgender from participating in women’s sports teams.
When Trump pressed Mills on whether she would comply, she responded, "We're going to follow the law, sir. We'll see you in court." Trump fired back, saying, "Enjoy your life after governor, because I don't think you'll be an elected official afterward."
Following the verbal exchange, Mills wasted no time in launching a fundraising campaign, sending mass text messages to Maine residents referencing her clash with Trump, which had been broadcast on national television.
"On Friday at a bipartisan meeting of governors, Donald Trump threatened to deny Maine school children federal funding unless we fall in line with his personal demands," the fundraising message read. "He even stated that he was ‘the law,’ never mind Congress or the states. I told him we'd see him in court."
Mills accused Trump of betraying his campaign promises to lower costs for Americans and instead using his authority to "punish his enemies."
"Maine will not be intimidated by the president’s threats," Mills' message continued. "The fight against Trump and his agenda starts at the state level. Can you donate $10 to the Maine Democratic Party to ensure they have the resources to fight for our state?"
What are legal changes and federal implications with Maine
The same week Trump threatened to withhold funding from Maine, a transgender woman—who had competed as a man until June of last year—won first place in the women’s pole vault at Maine’s Class B state indoor championship.
Maine’s governing body for high school athletics, the Maine Principal’s Association, announced that it would not comply with Trump’s executive order. Instead, the association affirmed that it would adhere to state law, which prohibits determining an athlete’s eligibility based on gender identity.
Sarah Perry, a civil rights attorney with expertise in Title IX cases, argued that Maine is not only defying Trump’s executive order but also ignoring guidance from the Department of Education and prior legal precedents that challenged former President Joe Biden’s Title IX policies.
Perry pointed out that after Biden’s Title IX rule, 26 states filed 11 federal lawsuits within six weeks, and in each case, the Biden administration lost.
Beyond the risk of losing federal funding, Perry warned that Maine could also face Title IX investigations, which might eventually force the state to comply with Trump’s directive.
According to Fox News Digital, they reached out to Mills' office for a statement but did not receive a response.