Trump vows to cut federal funding for Maine over defiance of ban on men in women's sports

Speaking at a Republican Governors Association meeting on Thursday night, President Donald Trump said that the administration would not be giving federal funding to the state of Maine over the state’s refusal to obey his executive order barring biological males from competing in women’s sports. Trump confronted Maine Governor Janet Mills on Friday at the Governor's Working Session in the White House.

"I heard men are still playing in Maine," Trump said, adding, "I hate to tell you this, but we're not going to give them any federal money, they are still saying ‘we want men to play in women’s sports' and I cannot believe that they're doing that."

He added, "So we’re not going to give them any federal funding, none whatsoever, until they clean that up."

Maine Governor Janet Mills said Friday morning, "the State of Maine will not be intimidated by the president’s threats," per the Maine Morning Star. "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."

Trump confronted Mills on Friday, asking her, "Are you not gonna comply" with the executive order, to which she replied, "I’m complying with state and federal laws."

"Well, we are the federal law," Trump replied, adding, "Well, you better do it, you better do it cause you’re not gonna get any federal at all if you don’t and, by the way, your population, even though it’s somewhat liberal although I did very well there, your population doesn’t want men playing in women’s sports. So, you better comply, because otherwise you’re not getting any federal funding."

"See you in court," Mills replied.

"Good, I’ll see you in court," Trump said, adding, "I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one. And enjoy your life after, Governor, cause I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics."

This comes after State Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) drew national attention towards a biological male who won Maine’s high school state championships for pole vaulting in the female division. The student jumped 11 feet, which is just one inch shy of the state record that had been set in 2024. Libby wrote at the time, "Two years ago, John tied for 5th place in boys pole vault. Tonight, 'Katie' won 1st place in the girls' Maine State Class B Championship."

In response to Trump’s move, Libby wrote, "Thank you President Trump — biological men have no place in women's sports — we Mainers appreciate you stepping in where the Maine Principals’ Association and the Maine Democrat Majority have failed!" She added in a separate post, "The Maine Principals’ Association and the Maine Democrat Majority tried to ignore our girls. I bet this gets their attention."

Libby said in a statement to The Post Millennial, "Thank you, President Trump, for protecting girls' sports in Maine and cleaning up the failures by both the Maine Principals’ Association and the Maine Democrat Majority who have refused to do so. It's common sense; biological males should have no place in girls' sports. With $280M+ per year on the line this shouldn’t be a hard choice for Maine Democrats. It’s time to restore girls' sports and protect the funding for our schools."

In early February, Trump signed an executive order barring schools that receive federal funding from allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports. Those who don’t obey the order risk their federal funding. Trump said at the signing, "We will defend the proud tradition of female athletes and we will not allow men to beat up, injure, and cheat our women and our girls. From now on, women’s sports will be only for women."

"With my action this afternoon, we're putting every school receiving taxpayer dollars on notice that if you let men take over women's sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated for violations of Title IX and risk your federal funding. There will be no federal funding,” he added.

Maine’s Department of Education previously said in response to a separate executive order Trump signed on day one in office recognizing that there are only two genders and safeguards women-only spaces from males, "The Executive Order 'Defending Women From Gender ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government' applies to the Federal government/Federal government agencies only and does not inhibit the force of Maine law or locally-adopted school board policies."