Dem governor fundraises off dust-up with Trump over trans sports in Maine: ‘I told him we’d see him in court’
Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Maine, joins ‘America’s Newsroom’ to discuss her state being under Title IX investigation for allowing biological men in women’s sports after a clash with President Donald Trump.
Gov. Janet Mills of Maine is attempting to capitalize on her moment in the national spotlight after she got into a public dust-up with President Donald Trump last week over her state’s defiance of his executive order demanding biological males who identify as transgender stay out of women’s sports.
The pair got into a verbal skirmish on Friday at the White House after Trump said the night prior that Maine would not receive any federal funding until it started taking action to prevent transgender women from competing on women’s sports teams.
“We’re going to follow the law, sir. We’ll see you in court,” Mills said after Trump asked if she would comply with his order. “Enjoy your life after governor, because I don’t think you’ll be an elected official afterward,” Trump shot back.
A Maine state representative confirmed to Fox News Digital that following the verbal skirmish on Friday, Mills began sending out mass fundraising texts to Maine residents that cited her altercation with Trump, which played out on national TV.
MAINE STATE REP TALKS ‘EXTREME’ TRANSGENDER ATHLETE POLICY
“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,” Mills’ text campaign said. “He even stated that he was ‘the law,’ never mind Congress or the states. I told him we’d see him in court.”
Maine Gov. Janet Mills and President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday. (Getty Images)
Mills went on to say that while Trump campaigned on lowering prices for everyday Americans, he is now using his new power to “punish his enemies.”
“I want to make one thing clear: Maine will not be intimidated by the president’s threats,” the campaign said. “The work to push back against Trump and his agenda begins at the state level. Can you donate $10 to the Maine Democratic Party to make sure they have the resources to fight for our state?”
The same week Trump threatened to withhold funding from Maine for not complying with his executive order on women’s sports, a transgender woman who competed as a man until June last year won first place in the women’s pole vault at Maine’s Class B state indoor championship.
MAINE FEMALE ATHLETE ‘GRATEFUL’ FOR TRUMP’S FOCUS ON TRANS COMPETITORS AFTER LOCAL LEADERS ‘FAILED’ GIRLS
Maine’s primary governing body for high school athletics said they would defer to state law that makes it illegal to determine someone’s athletic eligibility on the basis of their gender identity. (Getty Images)
Maine’s primary governing body for high school athletics, the Maine Principal’s Association, confirmed that it did not intend to follow Trump’s executive order after it came out. Rather, the association said they would defer to state law that makes it illegal to determine someone’s athletic eligibility on the basis of their gender identity.
Sarah Perry, a civil rights attorney who has extensive experience litigating Title IX issues, said that in addition to Trump’s executive order, Maine is also flouting directives from the Department of Education and previously established precedent from a slew of cases that challenged former President Joe Biden’s Title IX regulations allowing athletic eligibility to be determined by one’s preferred gender identity.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Within six weeks [after Biden’s Title IX ruling] we had 11 federal lawsuits brought by 26 states, in addition to a handful of others – the Biden administration has lost every time,” Perry pointed out.
Perry added that besides the obvious risk of losing funding, these states also open themselves up to federal Title IX investigations, something she said could potentially force them to comply with Trump’s demands.
Fox News Digital attempted to reach out to the governor’s office for comment but did not hear back.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2025 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.
Trump said Maine won’t receive any federal funding until it ensures biological males stop competing in women’s sports
Related Topics
Recommended
More from Politics
Fox News Politics
Trump has a ‘game plan’ to fix Democrats’ ‘disaster,’ says Sen. Tommy Tuberville
AG Pam Bondi explains why the Epstein files’ release is taking so long
Jesse Watters: Trump’s Cabinet meeting did not look like Biden’s
Karoline Leavitt: This is the most accessible and transparent administration in history
Seen and Unseen: ‘Political rehab’ for Gavin Newsom
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Nicolás Maduro is a ‘horrible dictator’
Laura: Trump wants the government to work for us, not against us
Trump is doing business with China ‘the right way’: Alina Habba
Laura Ingraham visits Gitmo with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
Musk attends first Cabinet meeting as Trump’s latest executive order targets federal spending
Balancing the budget is a tall order, Brit Hume explains
Coming up on Thursday, Feb. 27 edition of ‘Special Report’
Howard Lutnick pushes back on critics of Trump’s proposal for new ‘gold card’ visa
We’re ending wars, getting hostages and cash back: Watters
Gutfeld extends well wishes to Kat Timpf and family amid cancer diagnosis
This AI investment ‘will be as transformational as electricity,’ expert says
Gutfeld on Newsom’s podcast: He’ll ‘run out of platitudes in 5 minutes’
Lara Trump calls out the ‘audacity’ of Jake Tapper, says she expects nothing less from legacy media ‘sell-outs’
Arkansas Governor unveils legislation blocking Chinese government activity in her state
This is the ‘most impressive’ Cabinet that has served under any president, says Sen. Mike Lee
Maine lawmaker calls on governor to uphold trans athlete ban, let go of ‘extreme policy’
Trump to subject all contracts, grants through rigorous standards with DOGE executive order
‘No time to waste’: Navy’s ousted top officer speaks to staff after DOD leadership shakeup
Trump administration sets deadline for NYC to shut down controversial congestion pricing toll
Dem bid to end Trump energy emergency squashed after forced Senate vote
U.S.
Politics
World
Opinion
Media
Entertainment
Sports
Lifestyle
Deals
FOX Business
Science & Tech
Games
Watch Live
About
Apps & Products
Pam Bondi puts Minnesota ‘on notice’ for ignoring order banning trans athletes from girls’ and women’s sports
Cookie Settings
NEWS & POLITICS
Minnesota Republicans appear to see an opening with the U.S. attorney general for a broader legal push against Democrats in the state.
By Sydney Kashiwagi and
Ryan Faircloth
WASHINGTON – Minnesota quickly went on the radar of newly sworn in U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi after state leaders vowed to buck President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
Bondi warned Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison that the Department of Justice is prepared to sue states that do not comply with Trump’s order. But Ellison indicated he will not back down, arguing that compliance state’s human rights protections.
NEWS & POLITICS
Most Read
Pam Bondi puts Minnesota ‘on notice’ for ignoring order banning trans athletes from girls’ and women’s sports
Governor Mills’ Statement on Notice of Investigation From U.S. Department of Education
Home → Governor Mills’ Statement on Notice of Investigation From U.S. Department of Education
Washington, D.C. – Governor Janet Mills released the following statement today in response to the U.S. Department of Education notifying the Maine Department of Education that it has been directed to initiate an investigation into the State of Maine over alleged Title IX violations:
“I have spent my career – as a District Attorney, as Attorney General, and now as Governor – standing up for the rule of law in Maine and America. To me, that is fundamentally what is at stake here: the rule of law in our country.
“No President – Republican or Democrat – can withhold Federal funding authorized and appropriated by Congress and paid for by Maine taxpayers in an attempt to coerce someone into compliance with his will. It is a violation of our Constitution and of our laws, which I took an oath to uphold.
“Maine may be one of the first states to undergo an investigation by his Administration, but we won’t be the last. Today, the President of the United States has targeted one particular group on one particular issue which Maine law has addressed. But you must ask yourself: who and what will he target next, and what will he do? Will it be you? Will it be because of your race or your religion? Will it be because you look different or think differently? Where does it end? In America, the President is neither a King nor a dictator, as much as this one tries to act like it – and it is the rule of law that prevents him from being so.
“I imagine that the outcome of this politically directed investigation is all but predetermined. My Administration will begin work with the Attorney General to defend the interests of Maine people in the court of law. But do not be misled: this is not just about who can compete on the athletic field, this is about whether a President can force compliance with his will, without regard for the rule of law that governs our nation. I believe he cannot.”
Copyright © 2023
All rights reserved.
Governor Janet Mills
1 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
207-287-3531
