(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump over the weekend demanded an apology from Maine Gov. Janet Mills. The two have been at odds since Mills said her state would allow transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports despite Trump signing an executive order against the issue.
Trump said on social media Saturday that the state of Maine has apologized for its governor’s “strong but totally incorrect statement while at the White House Governor’s Conference” but that he has not heard from Mills herself.
During an event at the White House last month, Trump said he would withhold federal funding from Maine over its refusal to comply with the order on trans athletes. When prompted, Mills said Maine was following federal law and told the president, “See you in court,” NewsNation partner The Hill reported.
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It is unclear what apology Trump was referring to from the state of Maine in his post.
Maine’s Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said on social media that she can confirm — “as the official keeper of all state records and guardian of the seal” — that the state of Maine has not apologized.
“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,” Trump said in his post. “I’m sure she will be able to do that quite easily.”
After the spat between Trump and Mills at the White House, his administration opened several separate but overlapping investigations into Maine by the Departments of Education, Agriculture and Health and Human Services.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture paused federal funding for the University of Maine until it officially found it in compliance with Title IX.
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In a statement, the University of Maine system told NewsNation it has always been compliant but said it was “relieved” at the finding.
However, last Wednesday, the federal Education Department found the state’s Department of Education in violation of Title IX.
It is now giving Maine’s Department of Education “an opportunity to voluntarily agree within 10 days or risk imminent enforcement action including referral to the U.S. Department of Justice.”
Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Maine, whose social media post about a high school athlete participating in girls sports jump-started the spat between Trump and Mills, has said nothing has changed.
“Not only do I not think that President Trump will get an apology, I think Gov. Mills is trying to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes,” Libby said. “Nothing has changed in Maine. The university system has confirmed what we already knew.”
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Mills did not respond to a request for comment.
Libby has been censured from the statehouse floor for making the post. She is now suing to regain her vote and ability to speak on the floor.
Libby said the state is making a “huge gamble” when it comes to federal funding, with “hundreds of millions of dollars at stake.”
“I think (Mills) is willing to risk that, which is unfortunate because it’s putting Maine students’ education on the line and it’s ensuring that Maine girls don’t have a fair, safe and level playing field,” Libby said.
