Gov. Mills fires back after Trump's demand for 'full throated apology'

Mar. 24—Maine Gov. Janet Mills on Monday brushed off President Donald Trump's weekend demand that she issue a "full throated apology" for publicly challenging him during a White House event last month.

The governor responded to Trump's social media post while at a public event in Bangor. But it was not an apology.

Mills contested Trump's claims that he wants to protect women through his executive order barring transgender athletes from women's sports, pointing out that women in the United States and around the world will be hurt by his moves to eliminate foreign aid, attack Social Security and Medicaid, and impose tariffs that will spark trade wars and drive up consumer prices.

"If the current occupant of the White House wants to protect women and girls, he should start by protecting the women and teenage girls who are suffering miscarriages and dying because they can't get basic, lifesaving health care in states across this country," Mills said, according to media reports from the Bangor event. "If he truly cares about women and girls and people of this country, let's see the economic plan. Let's see the health care plan. Let's see the education plan."

Mills, who was in Bangor celebrating the purchase of a mobile home park by its residents under a new state law, added that "if he cares about women and girls, he should talk about the little girls and boys and infants in Sudan and other countries who are dying right now because he has cut off their supply of food and lifesaving medicines."

The governor has not granted interviews with reporters since being confronted by Trump at the White House last month and has only spoken publicly about her ongoing dispute with the president during two public appearances — first at the annual tapping of a maple tree outside of the Blaine House and again Monday in Bangor.

Trump confronted Mills during an event with other governors in February. A social media post by Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, about a transgender girl winning a state high school track title had just gone viral, and Trump wanted to know whether Maine would comply with his directive to ban transgender athletes from girls sports.

Mills replied that she would follow state and federal law — a reference to Maine's Human Rights Act, which was expanded during Mills' tenure in 2021 to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity.

When Trump continued to press her, saying, "We are the federal law," Mills replied, "See you in court."

Since then, the administration has launched a series of investigations into the Maine Department of Education; the University of Maine System; the Maine Principals' Association, which oversees high school sports in the state; and MSAD 51, the school district attended by the athlete targeted in Libby's post, for which she was censured and prohibited from speaking or voting on the floor of the Maine House until she apologizes.

Libby has refused to apologize and sued House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, while seeing her star rise in conservative circles across the country.

The Trump administration announced on March 11 that it was withholding funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to UMaine, even though university officials said they are complying with NCAA rules prohibiting transgender women from participating in women's sports. The administration reversed its decision the following day.

The administration officials also informed the Maine DOE, MPA and MSAD 51 on March 17 that they are in violation of the executive order and had 10 days to sign an agreement to come into compliance. Failure to do so could result in litigation, they warned.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi put the state "on notice" on Feb. 26 for a potential lawsuit if it didn't comply, saying, "I hope it does not come to this. The Department of Justice does not want to have to sue states or state entities, or to seek termination of their federal grants."

Mills did not comment on the Feb. 21 White House confrontation until 10 days later, when she reiterated her plan to follow state law and compared Trump to French King Louis XIV.

"In my conversation with the president last week, unfortunately he made the statement — I have never heard any president say this before — that he is law," Mills said. "That's not the authority of the president. You can't create laws by thinking them, by tweeting them, by issuing press releases, by issuing executive orders. Congress makes the laws. The president — the executive branch — executes the laws faithfully."

The Trump administration and Republican leaders have sought to keep the issue of transgender athletes at the forefront of public discussions at a time when the president and his allies, particularly the Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk, have moved to slash the federal government by firing and laying off tens of thousands of federal workers and by trying to eliminate agencies — steps that have threatened the foundations for programs like Social Security.

Trump reignited the dispute with Mills by posting on his social media site Saturday.

"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," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform Saturday morning.

"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," the president continued. "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!!! DJT"

It is not clear what state apology Trump was referencing. The Mills administration has remained steadfast in its opposition to his edict.

In a social media post Saturday night, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows wrote that, as the "official keeper of all state records and guardian of the seal," she "Can confirm 'State of Maine' hasn't apologized."

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