Maine’s Trans Sports Policy Could Cost State $100M In USDA Money, Trump Admin Warns
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Saturday announced that it has initiated a “compliance review” of the University of Maine, and the state could be in jeopardy of losing $100 million in federal USDA funding over noncompliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order to keep males out of female sports.
Trump took aim at Maine’s Democrat Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday, following the news of a transgender-identifying boy taking first place in girls’ pole vaulting at Maine’s Class B state championship — a win that helped the high school take first place overall. The president told Mills he’d see her “in court” after the two sparred in person at the White House, with Mills effectively telling Trump she will not comply with his orders on gender.
“The [United States Department of Agriculture] has initiated a compliance review of the University of Maine following the state’s disregard for [President Donald Trump’s]’ EO, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,'” USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced on Saturday.
“Let me be clear: Any institution that chooses to disregard it can count on losing future funding,” she added.
.@USDA has initiated a compliance review of the University of Maine following the state’s disregard for @POTUS’ EO, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”
Let me be clear: Any institution that chooses to disregard it can count on losing future funding. https://t.co/osiJI53yiB pic.twitter.com/lMJICdGXiA
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) February 22, 2025
“As a federally funded land-grant institution, the University of Maine receives over $100 million in USDA funding,” a press release from the USDA reads. “Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities that receive federal funding. Compliance with federal law is mandatory for institutions to continue receiving taxpayer funded support, including USDA grants.”
“USDA is committed to upholding the President’s executive order, meaning any institution that chooses to disregard it can count on losing future funding,” Rollins’ statement said.
USDA’s compliance review into the University of Maine follows a U.S. Department of Education announcement from Friday about launching Title IX investigations into Maine’s DOE over its gender policies.
“Today the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) sent a letter to the Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin announcing that OCR is initiating a directed investigation of the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) amid allegations that it continues to allow male athletes to compete in girls’ interscholastic athletics and that it has denied female athletes female-only intimate facilities, thereby violating federal antidiscrimination law,” the USDOE press release said.
Trump said on Thursday that he’ll be withholding all federal funding from Maine if the state continues to allow males to compete in girls and women’s sports, The Daily Wire reported.
“I heard men are still playing in Maine,” Trump said. “We’re not gonna give any federal money. They are still saying, ‘We want men to play in women’s sports.’ And I cannot believe they’re doing that.”
“We’re not gonna give them any federal funding — none whatsoever, until they clean that up,” the president emphasized.
???? President Trump announces Maine will not receive federal funding until they comply with the executive order keeping men out of women’s sports pic.twitter.com/OZqBHyW1QB
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 21, 2025
Originally Published at Daily Wire, Daily Signal, or The Blaze
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