Trump Demands ‘Full Throated Apology from the Governor,’ Vow She’ll Never Challenge Trump Admin Again

President Donald Trump is escalating his demands for Maine to fully comply with his executive order prohibiting biological males from competing in women’s sports. The conflict stems from Democratic Governor Janet Mills’ previous refusal to implement the ban, prompting a federal showdown that could jeopardize millions in education funding for the state.

The tension became public during a February meeting at the White House when Trump directly challenged Mills about her stance. “We’ll comply with state and federal law,” Mills responded cautiously, to which Trump fired back: “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.” The exchange ended with Mills saying “We’ll see you in court” and Trump welcoming the legal battle.

Now federal agencies are turning up the pressure. The Department of Agriculture warned Maine’s university system that its $30 million in federal funding could be at risk for noncompliance, though officials later confirmed the schools were following the order. More significantly, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights issued a formal determination that Maine’s policies violate Title IX, giving the state until March 29 to change course or face potential DOJ intervention and loss of federal education dollars.

In his latest Truth Social post, Trump demanded a personal apology from Governor Mills along with an ironclad commitment to implement the ban. While noting the state government had offered some apology, Trump insisted: “We need a full-throated apology from the Governor herself, and a statement that she will never make such an unlawful challenge to the Federal Government again.”

The standoff reflects broader national tensions over transgender participation in sports, with the Trump administration taking an aggressive stance to preserve women’s athletic opportunities while progressive states like Maine resist. As the deadline approaches, Maine faces difficult choices between maintaining its current policies or risking substantial financial consequences from the federal government.