President Trump asked Gov. Janet Mills to inquire if her state would abide by the executive order he signed prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in women's sports. He didn’t like her answer.
On Friday afternoon, something that rarely
happens these days took place at the White House. Someone defied Trump, right
in front of him. He suddenly remembered that the leaders of Maine had been
resisting an executive order he signed banning transgender athletes from
women's sports about an hour into a meeting with a group of governors from both
parties. "Is Maine present?" He voiced his concern. "The Maine
governor?" “Yeah,” Gov. Janet Mills answered from across the room. “I’m
here.”
Mr. Smith, referring to the executive order, are
you not going to comply with that? Trump inquired. “I’m complying with the
state and federal laws,” she said, rather pointedly.
Mr. Trump replied “We are the federal law” and
said “You better do it” or else he would withhold funding from her state. He
reminded her that public opinion was overwhelmingly on his side on this issue.
(A poll from The New York Times and Ipsos last month found that just 18 percent
of Americans believe transgender female athletes — those who were male at birth
— should be allowed to compete in women’s sports.) He warned again, “You better
comply, you better comply, because otherwise you’re not getting any federal
funding.”
She responded with, "See you in court."
“Good,” he said, sounding surly. “I’ll see you in court. I look forward to
that. That should be a really easy one.” He paused and then added, “And enjoy
your life after governor, because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”
It was a fleeting back and forth, but Ms. Mills’s
moment of defiance came at a time when Democrats have struggled to find any
coherent or effective way to stand up to this president.
One month into his second term, Mr. Trump has
referred to himself as a king, and the White House has displayed a picture of
him with a crown on. Additionally, the Republican leaders in Congress have
happily ceded power to him. The standoff between the administration and Maine’s
leaders continued to escalate Friday.
Shortly after Ms. Mills' conversation with the
president, the United States Department of Education sent a letter to the
state’s education commissioner, Pender Makin, notifying her that it was
initiating a “directed investigation” of Maine’s Education Department.
The report that "at least one male student
to complete in girls' categories" was mentioned in the letter as a
particular school. Hawaii’s Democratic governor, Josh Green, was at the meeting
at the White House, too. “Several of the governors I talked to were a little
bit distressed by that back and forth,” he said afterward, “because it seemed
it was a little bit harsh—and it wasn’t yelling, but it was unnecessary
conflict.”
It was just “a moment,” he added, “but she stood
firm against him.”
