President Donald Trump asked that the governor of Maine Janet Mills apologize to him for the reluctance of his state to follow his executive order to ban trans athletes from girls’ sports during the weekend, and Mills has now responded without an apology.
Mills spoke with journalists in Bangor on Monday, rejecting Trump and insisting that the reluctance of his state to follow his executive order is based on “the rule of law.”
“My problem is about the rule of law, pure and simple,” said Mills. “It is not about transgender sports; it is who makes the laws and who enforces the laws. I read the Constitution. The Constitution says that the President, the Executive Director, will take care of the laws be faithfully executed.
Mills also condemned Trump for his position on abortion and tariffs, and never referred to the president by name.
CLICK HERE for more sports coverage at Foxnews.com
Janet Mills, governor of Maine, during the governors’ work session in the state dining room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, on Friday, February 21, 2025. (Francis Chung/Politic/Bloomberg through Getty Images)
“We have seen policies that threaten women and girls throughout the country,” said Mills. “If the current occupant of the White House wants to protect women and girls, he must begin protecting women and teenagers suffering from spontaneous abortions and dying because they cannot obtain basic medical attention that saves lives in the states of the whole country.
“Look, the problem is not a transgender sports. People in Maine and throughout the country are waiting for an economic plan of the current occupant of the White House. And so far, we have not seen any. We have seen tariffs and threats of tariffs that threaten our economy here in Maine and throughout the country.”
Trump’s initial demand for a Mills apology came in a social publication of the truth on Saturday morning.
“While Maine’s state apologized for the strong, but totally incorrect statement, about men who play in women’s sports, while at the conference of the Governor of the White House, we have not had news of the governor herself, and she is the one that matters in such cases.” Trump said.
“Therefore, we need an apology of the governor’s misleads, and a statement that he will never make such an illegal challenge to the federal government, before this case can be resolved. I am sure that she can do it quite easily. Thank you for her attention to this matter and, make the United States return to the United States! Djt.”
A dispute between the two began on February 20, when Trump threatened to reduce federal funds to the State for not prohibiting trans athletes of girls and women’s sports, during a republican meeting of governors.
The next day, Mills’s office responded with a statement that threatened the legal actions against the Trump administration if it retained federal state funds. Then, Trump and Mills fought verbally on a widely publicized argument in the White House during a bipartisan meeting of governors.
“Are you not going to comply with that?” Trump asked Mills.
Maine’s girl involved in the battle of Trans athletes reveals how state policies hurt her children’s and sports career
“I am complying with state and federal laws,” he replied, before Trump said: “Well, we are the federal law.”
“You better do it. You better do it because you will not get any federal financing if you don’t,” he continued. “And, by the way, your population, although it is something liberal, although I did it very well there, your population does not want men to play in women’s sports, so it is better that you meet because otherwise you do not get any federal financing.”
“See you in court,” Mills replied.
“Well, I’ll see you in court. I hope that. That should be really easy. And enjoy your life after the governor because I don’t think you are in chosen politics,” Trump concluded.
The Department of Education announced an investigation of Title IX against Maine only a few hours later.
Since then, multiple protests against Mills have been held outside the state capital, and Maine’s university system has cooperated with the Trump administration to ensure that Trans athletes compete in women’s sports after a temporary financing break.
Last week, the Office of Civil Rights of Health and Human Services (OCR) officially announced He found the Department of Education of Maine, the Association of Directors of Maine and Grelyly High School in violation of Title IX for its continuous authorization of trans inclusion in girls sports.
OCR’s interim director, Anthony Archeval, provided a statement to Pak Gazette digital warning on the possible consequences for the continuous challenge of the executive order.
“What the HHS is asking about the Department of Education of Maine, the Association of Directors of Maine (MPA) and Grelyly High School is simple: protecting the rights of female athletes. Girls deserve sports only for girls without male competitors. And if Maine does not come to the table to voluntarily comply with title IX, HHS will prevent the title IX to the greatest amount to the greatest amount.”
The initial announcement of HHS warned that the State had 10 days to correct its policies through an agreement signed or risk reference to the United States Department of Justice for appropriate actions.
The deadline to meet is this Thursday.
