Maine Governor to Trump on Trans Athlete Ban: "See You in Court"

At a recent White House meeting, President Donald Trump tried to pressure Maine Governor Janet Mills into enforcing his executive order banning transgender girls and women from female sports teams. Her response?

“See you in court.”

Translation: Take your fake outrage somewhere else, Don.

Trump, of course, was trying to push his latest culture war stunt—framing transgender athletes as the biggest crisis in women’s sports while conveniently ignoring actual problems like equal pay, abuse scandals, and the fact that most women’s sports are still criminally underfunded. But sure, let’s hyperfocus on less than 1% of athletes instead of addressing the other 99% who are getting screwed over financially.

Trump’s Order: Solving a Problem That Doesn’t Exist

Let’s break down what this big, bold executive order does:

Redefines Title IX to recognize only “biological sex at birth.” (Science and human rights? Never heard of ‘em.)
Bans transgender women and girls from competing in female sports. (Because nothing says “I care about women’s sports” like kicking women out of them.)
Ignores transgender men and boys competing in male sports (which proves this isn’t about “fairness” but just another attempt to punch down).

The White House is selling this as “protecting fairness,” but let’s look at some actual numbers:

Transgender athletes make up less than 1% of all athletes.
In NCAA sports, there are fewer than 10 transgender athletes currently competing nationwide.
There is literally zero evidence of transgender athletes dominating women’s sports at any level.

That’s right. This entire nationwide policy is being pushed over a single-digit number of athletes. Because when you have zero economic plans, no new policies, and can’t even keep your own legal fees paid, the next best move is always: “Culture War Distraction 101.”

Maine’s Response: Not Today, Satan

The Maine Principals’ Association, which actually runs high school sports in the state, took one look at Trump’s order and said “Yeah, we’re good.”

Why? Because unlike Trump, they actually know the laws governing their own state:

It violates the Maine Human Rights Act, which bars discrimination based on gender identity.
It conflicts with existing state laws that already protect transgender students.
It’s legally shaky at best, and they know this thing is going to get tossed in court faster than a fake Trump University degree.

Trump, naturally, threw a tantrum in the most Trumpian way possible: threatening to cut federal funding for Maine schools. Because when in doubt, punish children’s education.

But Maine isn’t buying it. Governor Mills made that clear:

“If the President attempts to strip federal funding from Maine’s schools, my administration will take all legal action necessary to restore those resources.”

Trump’s response?

“Good. I look forward to that. Should be an easy one.”

Ah yes, because Trump has such a great track record in court. (Just ask the 91 felony charges, four indictments, and the $355 million fraud case he lost in New York.)

Real Issues in Women’s Sports (That Trump Couldn’t Care Less About)

If Trump and his allies actually cared about fairness in women’s sports, we’d be talking about:

U.S. Women’s Soccer: Winning More, Paid Less

Women’s World Cup prize money in 2019: $30 million
Men’s World Cup prize money in 2018: $400 million (13 times higher!)
The U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) had to sue for equal pay, despite outperforming the men.

But sure, the real threat to women’s soccer is one transgender goalkeeper playing for a college team in Idaho.

WNBA Players vs. NBA Players: The 1.5% Pay Gap

Average NBA salary (2023-24): $9.6 million
Average WNBA salary (2023-24): $147,745
WNBA league revenue (2023): ~$200 million
NBA league revenue (2023): ~$10 billion

So, let’s be real: If Trump was actually worried about women’s sports, maybe he’d have thrown a fit over WNBA players getting paid less than a benchwarmer in the G-League.

Olympics: Less Coverage, Less Money, Less Respect

Women’s sports receive 40% less media coverage than men’s events.
Olympic sponsorship deals heavily favor male athletes, even when women outperform them.

If Trump and his friends want to fight for women’s sports, why not start with giving them the same media coverage and sponsorship deals?

Legal Experts: This Order is Headed for the Dumpster

Federal courts have already ruled that transgender athletes are protected under Title IX.
Other state-level bans have been thrown out as unconstitutional.
The NCAA has refused to back Trump’s stance, and in the past, has threatened to pull events from states with anti-trans laws.

In short, this order is on a legal countdown to irrelevance.

What Happens Next?

Maine is ready to sue if funding gets cut.
Other states will likely join in, setting up a national legal battle.
The Supreme Court might have to step in, making this a defining case for LGBTQ+ rights and Title IX.

Final Thoughts: Trump’s Culture War Stunt is DOA

If fairness in women’s sports was really the issue, we’d be focusing on:

Equal pay for female athletes in all pro leagues.
Better media coverage and sponsorship deals for women’s sports.
More funding for women’s college and high school athletics.

But instead, Trump decided to use transgender athletes as a political prop, because it’s easier than addressing actual gender inequality.

Maine isn’t falling for it. The courts likely won’t either.

So, see you in court, Don. And bring a lawyer who actually wins cases this time.