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President Donald Trump called for an apology on Saturday from Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills over her challenge to his executive order to keep men out of women’s sports.
Trump shared the call for the governor’s response in a Truth Social post that highlighted the recent controversy in Maine.
“While the State of Maine has apologized for their Governor’s strong, but totally incorrect, statement about men playing in women’s sports while at the White House House Governor’s Conference, we have not heard from the Governor herself, and she is the one that matters in such cases,” the president wrote.
“Therefore, 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, before this case can be settled. I’m sure she will be able to do that quite easily. Thank you for your attention to this matter and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” he added.
The Trump administration had previously given Maine 10 days to ban biological males from female sports, according to a report last week.
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) identified Maine’s Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association and Greely High School as having violated Title IX. According to the administration, permitting biological males to compete in female sports constitutes discrimination against females.
“What HHS is asking of the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association, and Greely High School is simple – protect female athletes’ rights,” OCR acting director Anthony Archeval said in a statement to Fox News on Wednesday.
“Girls deserve girls-only sports without male competitors. And if Maine won’t come to the table to voluntarily comply with Title IX, HHS will enforce Title IX to the fullest extent permitted by the law,” he added.
The Trump administration previously ordered a pause of federal funding to Maine’s public universities on Tuesday in response to the state’s refusal to comply with an executive order to keep transgender males out of women’s sports.
The University of Maine System (UMS) includes eight colleges and nearly 30,000 students, according to its website.
