President Donald Trump rebuked Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills in person on Friday and threatened to pull federal funding from her state for not complying with his executive order banning men in women's sports.

During a bipartisan National Governors Association session at the White House, Trump noted that Maine is refusing to comply with his Feb. 5 executive order titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports."

"Are you not going to comply with that?" Trump asked Mills, who was sitting two tables over from his podium.

???? President Trump calls Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) out to her face over her refusal to comply with the executive order keeping men out of women's sports:

"You better do it — because you're not going to get any federal funding at all if you don't." pic.twitter.com/uMUZsy1j6t

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 21, 2025

"I'm complying with state and federal law," Mills replied.

"We are the federal law. You better do it because you're not going to get any federal funding at all if you don't," Trump shot back.

He made a similar threat during a meeting Thursday of the Republican Governor's Association.

"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," Trump continued.

"We'll see you in court," said Mills.

"Good, I'll see you in court. I look forward to that," Trump said. "That should be a real easy one."

"Enjoy your life after, governor, because I don't think you'll be in elected politics," Trump added, though Mills is term-limited after having already served two terms as governor.

Trump's executive order asserts, "It is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy."

"It shall also be the policy of the United States to oppose male competitive participation in women's sports more broadly, as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth," the order adds.

Mills issued a defiant statement Friday, saying Maine "will not be intimidated by the President's threats" to pull federal funding.

"If the President attempts to unilaterally deprive Maine school children from the benefit of Federal funding, my Administration and the Attorney General will take appropriate and necessary legal action to restore that funding and the academic opportunity it provides," she added.

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey, a Democrat, echoed Mills in a statement, according to The Hill.

"Any attempt by the President to cut federal funding in Maine unless transgender athletes are restricted from playing sports would be illegal and in direct violation of court orders," he said. "Fortunately, though, the rule of law still applies in this county, and I will do everything in my power to defend Maine's laws and block efforts by the President to bully and threaten us."

Frey has challenged several of Trump's executive orders and joined 14 state attorneys general in challenging his executive order saying the U.S. will no longer "fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support" transgender procedures for minors.

Sarah Parshall Perry, a senior legal fellow for the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, asserted in an X post that Maine's attempt to fight Trump's executive order over men in women's sports will fail.

"Maine will lose in court. Title 9 protects biological women, period. In order to get $250 million in federal funding, Maine entered into a contract with the Department of Education, promising to follow that federal civil rights law. Her reliance on contrary state law will prove fatal to any continued recalcitrance," Perry wrote.

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/trump-rebukes-maine-governor-over-men-in-womens-sports.html