This morning, Donald Trump presided over a meeting of governors, one of whom was Maine’s Janet Mills. When she effectively announced that she was refusing to comply with his mandate regarding men in women’s sports, Trump told her the harsh truth: He holds the checkbook. It was an epic confrontation and also a Rorschach test because leftists are celebrating Mills’s stance, while conservatives (and probably most Americans) are supporting Trump.
Up until this morning, Gov. Mills was a complete nonentity to most Americans. Outside of Maine, nobody had heard of her—and she probably wouldn’t have won in the first place were it not for Maine’s wacky “ranked choice” voting system.
What’s changed is that Mills has decided that she plans to die on the transgender hill—and not just the hill of believing that men and women can magically change their sex. Instead, she’s planting her flag on the hill that says it’s perfectly okay for boys and men to compete in girls’ and women’s sports and strip down in their locker rooms. The vast majority of Americans disagree.
Donald Trump disagrees, too. That’s why one of his major executive actions was to get men out of women’s sports. Part of the executive action is to investigate the immense harm women suffer (physical, emotional, and financial) because men have invaded women’s sports.
However, Trump also held in the EO that Title IX, probably interpreted, means that anyone forcing women to share their playing fields, gymnasiums, swimming pools, and, especially, locker rooms with men has violated Title IX. This gives Trump’s EO heft because violating the Act triggers penalties, and Trump intends to enforce them.
While Trump was discussing with the governors his administration’s decision to interpret Title IX to benefit actual women, not fake women (i.e., mentally ill men), Trump suddenly called out Mills because her state’s political actors remain committed to allowing boys and men to participate in girls’ and women’s sports and to share their locker rooms.
With Maine’s stance in mind, Trump asked Mills, “Are you not going to comply with that [the executive order]?”
Mills responded that she intended to comply “with the state and federal laws”—a passive-aggressive way of saying, “No.”
Trump explained that “we are the federal laws” and that if Mills failed to abide by his mandate Title IX-compliant mandate, he would withhold federal funds from her state. (Note that he didn’t threaten police action; he just said that if you want money, he who pays the piper calls the tune.)
Mills answered, “See you in court,” to which Trump responded, “Good. I’ll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one—and enjoy your life after governor, but I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”
Hello, 911?
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 21, 2025
I’d like to report a homicide…
pic.twitter.com/Zpd1jFZqh9
The brief exchange was telling for two reasons. First, it shows that Trump is willing to fight for his principles rather than just mouth them. That’s a rarity amongst conservatives and must be celebrated.
Second, the moment created a real Rorschach test, showing how differently Democrats and Republicans see the issue. The New York Times, for example, celebrated that “Somebody defied President Trump. Right to his face.” Mills spoke “pointedly” and “shot back” her “see you in court” statement. Trump, meanwhile, sounded “surly.” At the end, Mills provided a refreshing “moment of defiance,” despite what even the Times conceded was “a time when Democrats have struggled to find any coherent or effective way to stand up to this president.”
Leftists on X agreed with this spin:
BREAKING: In a stunning moment of defiance, Maine's Governor Janet Mills stands up to Trump, saying she is complying with state and federal (anti-discrimination) law, and will see him in court over his threat to withhold federal funds. This is incredible.pic.twitter.com/2eBS3JcdK1
— Really American ???????? (@ReallyAmerican1) February 21, 2025
Thank you, Janet Mills.
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) February 21, 2025
This is how all our elected officials everywhere should be confronting Trump's authoritarian "we are the law" sentiment. Head on. https://t.co/X0Ka9ACn6T
Meanwhile, conservatives celebrated Trump’s open and tough stance on behalf of women and against mentally ill men:
MUST WATCH: President Trump just decimated Maine’s lawless Governor Janet T. Mills right to her face for refusing to stop men in women’s sports:
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 21, 2025
“Good. See you in court… enjoy your life after governor. I don’t think you’ll be in elected office.”
????????pic.twitter.com/k77nTbpAIn
Of all the hills to die on, the governor of Maine has chosen Men in Women's sports. Trump ain't having it. This was so brutal. pic.twitter.com/1SlIuoAP4Y
— Clint Russell (@LibertyLockPod) February 21, 2025
Of all the hills to die on, the governor of Maine has chosen Men in Women's sports. Trump ain't having it. This was so brutal. pic.twitter.com/1SlIuoAP4Y
— Clint Russell (@LibertyLockPod) February 21, 2025
During his first term, Trump, a fighter, fought everyone on every issue, which was often counterproductive. This time around, Trump, showing once again that he’s not too old to learn and change engrained behaviors, is picking battles he’s going to win. As noted, Americans overwhelmingly oppose watching men destroying women on the playing field and exposing themselves in the locker room.
The Supreme Court, an almost entirely political institution that occasionally intersects with the Constitution, sees which way the wind is blowing. And, thankfully, statutory interpretation supports Trump on this one, which should make it easy for the Court. Trump is right that Maine (and California) will lose, and he can chalk up another victory against the “resistance.”
Image: X screen grab.