President Donald Trump recently announced that he would pull federal funding for the state of Maine after allowing a transgender-identifying athlete to compete in the girls’ pole vault event at Maine’s Class B state championship. According to reports, the individual won fifth place in the same event in the boy’s category just two years prior but took first place most recently when competing in the girl’s category.
Shortly after taking office, President Trump signed the executive order, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” an effort to protect biological females in their reserved athletic spaces. However, Maine’s Department of Education announced in January that it would not comply with Trump’s executive order.
“I heard men are still playing in Maine,” Trump said this past week. “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.” The president maintained, “We’re not gonna give them any federal funding — none whatsoever, until they clean that up.”
Maine Republican state Representative Laurel Libby called out the situation on Monday, posting on Facebook, “Two years ago, [boy’s name] tied for 5th place in boys pole vault. Tonight, ‘[girl’s name]’ won 1st place in the girls’ Maine State Class B Championship.” She added in another statement, “The decision by the Maine Principals’ Association to continue allowing male athletes to compete against female athletes in school athletic competitions is outrageous.”
