Special Poll
President Trump and Maine Governor Janet Mills had a brief but heated exchange on Friday at a National Governors Association meeting at the White House. The clash came after Trump warned Republican governors that he would withhold federal funding from states that refused to comply with his executive order on transgender athletes.
During the event, Trump repeated the false claim that two female Olympic boxers were transgender and promoted his recent order aimed at banning transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports, including at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Turning to Mills, who was in attendance, Trump asked whether she would ensure Maine followed the directive. The Maine Principal’s Association, which oversees high school sports in the state, has already stated that it will not bar transgender athletes from competing on teams that match their gender identity due to state anti-discrimination laws that prohibit such restrictions.
Mills stood by the state’s position, responding, “I’m complying with state and federal law.”
Trump pushed back, asserting, “We are the federal law. You better do it because you’re not going to get federal funding,” repeating a threat he had made the previous evening at a meeting for the Republican Governors Association. While executive orders guide federal agencies, they do not have the power to override existing federal laws.
Mills was quick to respond, saying, “See you in court.”
Trump, unfazed, shot back, “Good, I’ll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one.”