President Donald Trump recently announced that he would pull federal funding for the state of Maine after allowing a transgender-identifying athlete to compete in the girls’ pole vault event at Maine’s Class B state championship. According to reports, the individual won fifth place in the same event in the boy’s category just two years prior but took first place most recently when competing in the girl’s category.
Shortly after taking office, President Trump signed the executive order, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” an effort to protect biological females in their reserved athletic spaces. However, Maine’s Department of Education announced in January that it would not comply with Trump’s executive order.
“I heard men are still playing in Maine,” Trump said this past week. “We’re not gonna give any federal money. They are still saying, ‘We want men to play in women’s sports.’ And I cannot believe they’re doing that.” The president maintained, “We’re not gonna give them any federal funding — none whatsoever, until they clean that up.”
Maine Republican state Representative Laurel Libby called out the situation on Monday, posting on Facebook, “Two years ago, [boy’s name] tied for 5th place in boys pole vault. Tonight, ‘[girl’s name]’ won 1st place in the girls’ Maine State Class B Championship.” She added in another statement, “The decision by the Maine Principals’ Association to continue allowing male athletes to compete against female athletes in school athletic competitions is outrageous.”
Libby continued, “Not only does their decision violate President Trump’s February 5 Executive Order but it jeopardizes the safety and privacy of female athletes, all while allowing male athletes to take medals, trophies, and podium spots away from women, effectively erasing them.” She maintained, “I urge the Trump Administration to move swiftly to ensure that female athletes in Maine can once again compete on a level playing field, preserving the integrity of women’s sports.”
President Trump and Maine Governor Janet Mills recently sparred after he threatened to withhold federal funding during a meeting with Governors at the White House. “We’ll see you in court,” Mills said. “Good, I’ll see you in court,” Trump fired back. “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.”
In early February, the White House released a statement on Trump’s executive order, titled, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” The statement said, “The White By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to protect opportunities for women and girls to compete in safe and fair sports, it is hereby ordered.”
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Watch Trump spar with Gov. Mills below:
It continued, “Section 1. Policy and Purpose. In recent years, many educational institutions and athletic associations have allowed men to compete in women’s sports. This is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports.”
“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 added.