"See You In Court": Maine Gov Responds to Trump's Face Over Anti-Trans EO At Governor's Address

Governor Janet Mill's response reveals an increasing willingness to push back against anti-trans actions from the President.

Trump speaks to state governors.

At a Friday morning event with the National Governors Association, President Donald Trump clashed with Democratic Maine Governor Janet Mills, threatening to revoke all federal funding for the state if she refused to ban trans women from women’s sports. Mills responded with a forceful retort, vowing, “I’ll see you in court.”

The full exchange was publicly posted on Twitter by journalist Aaron Rupar:

Trump: “Is Maine here? Is the governor of Maine here? Are you not going to comply with it?”
Mills: “I’m complying with state and federal laws.”
Trump: “Well, we are the federal law. Well, you’d better do it. You better do it, because you’re not going to get any federal funding 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’d better comply, because otherwise you’re not getting any federal funding.”
Mills: “See you in court.”
Trump: “Good, I’ll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one. And enjoy your life after governor, because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”

You can watch the exchange here:

The event, intended as a forum for governors to discuss policy implementation with the president, followed Trump’s signing of an executive order aimed at redefining Title IX to exclude transgender people from sex-based discrimination protections in education—effectively enabling sports bans nationwide. While this interpretation lacks strong legal precedent, it is widely supported by conservatives, including judges eager to roll back transgender rights.

Trump has begun to act on his promise, with the Department of Education announcing an investigation into the Maine Department of Education for permitting transgender women to compete in women’s sports—an announcement that repeatedly misgenders trans women. The department is also targeting Maine School Administrative District #51 over a single trans girl allegedly being allowed to play on girls’ teams.

Maine cemented its status as a safe state for transgender people last year by passing a law designating it as a sanctuary for those receiving gender-affirming care—despite violent threats from the far right. The state has some of the strongest protections for transgender individuals, including nondiscrimination measures in employment and education, as well as a mandate requiring insurers to cover gender-affirming care.

This comes as other states push back against anti-trans discrimination. Washington, Oregon, and Minnesota previously sued the Trump administration over its restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors, securing a temporary restraining order against the policy. Meanwhile, New Jersey has implemented a ban on forced outing policies for transgender individuals. Across the country, many hospitals are resuming or continuing to provide gender-affirming care for minors despite federal pressure.

In a statement, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey vowed to "defend Maine’s laws and block efforts by the president to bully and threaten us." Mills, ahead of the event, made it clear she would “not be intimidated” by Trump, adding, “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.”