U.S.A.: Trump administration backs down in dispute with Maine over trans athletes

The Trump administration has decided to reinstate federal funding for education programs in Maine, ceasing a halt that was prompted by the president’s disapproval of the state’s policies regarding trans athletes, according to ‘MSNBC’.

This decision resolves a lawsuit that Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey had filed last month against the U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, following Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’s decision to freeze funds for nutrition programs. The conflict between Trump and the state stemmed from the participation of trans athletes in women’s sports.

“It’s unfortunate that my office had to resort to federal court just to get USDA to comply with the law and its own regulations,” Frey mentioned in a statement. “But we are pleased that the lawsuit has now been resolved and that Maine will continue to receive funds as directed by Congress to feed children and vulnerable adults.”

The Trump administration had repeatedly threatened to withdraw Maine’s funding due to state officials’ refusal to adhere to its efforts to exclude transgender athletes from women’s sports under Title IX, which aims to prohibit sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs. In February, there was a public confrontation between the president and Maine Gov. Janet Mills at the White House when Trump warned her that she needed to “better comply” or risk losing federal funding for her state.

“I’ll see you in court,” Mills replied.

Neither party seemed ready to concede. In mid-April, a federal judge overseeing Maine’s lawsuit against the USDA ordered the Trump administration to temporarily release the funds for the state’s education programs.

During a news conference on Friday, Mills, a moderate Democrat, expressed satisfaction with the administration’s retreat.

“I told him I’d see him in court,” she said. “Well, we did see him in court, and we won.”