Overview

• Donald Trump has demanded a personal apology from Maine Governor Janet Mills following her criticism of his executive order banning transgender women and girls from participating in women’s sports.
• The conflict originated at a February National Governors Association meeting, where Mills stated that Maine would follow its own laws, citing the state’s Human Rights Act, which protects gender identity.
• The Trump administration has since launched Title IX investigations, temporarily suspended federal funding, and imposed other measures targeting Maine, actions widely seen as retaliatory.
• Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows denied that the state has issued any apology, contradicting Trump’s claim that an apology had been made on Maine’s behalf.
• Critics, including legal experts, have questioned the constitutionality of Trump’s actions, arguing that federal policies cannot be enforced based on whether a state governor apologizes.