Poll: Maine Voters Oppose Governor, Back Trump on Trans Athletes

A strong majority of Mainers do not think transgender-identifying boys should be allowed to compete in girls’ sports — in stark contrast to the position of Maine Democrats and Gov. Janet Mills (D), a poll reveals.

The University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll found that 64 percent of Maine residents do not believe boys should play girls’ sports, which is a current battle the state is fighting against President Donald Trump and his executive orders declaring the biological reality of two sexes and barring males from playing on female sports teams. Spectrum News reported on the poll.

The survey found that only 29 percent of Mainers think transgender-identifying boys should be allowed to play on girls’ teams, while 7 percent are unsure. By political affiliation, 56 percent of Democrats, 14 percent of independents, and 1 percent of Republicans back boys being allowed to compete against girls in sports.

The survey was conducted March 20-24 — before the Trump administration began freezing funds on Wednesday in response to Gov. Mills refusal to comply with President Trump’s orders protecting girls’ sports. The survey has a ±3 percent margin of error and was conducted with 1,057 Mainers. Previous polling has shown more than 6 in 10 Mainers believe individuals should play on sports team that match with biological reality.

President Trump’s executive order on “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports” was created to protect female student athletes from having “to compete with or against or having to appear unclothed before males.” The order also mandates each federal department to “review grants to education programs and, where appropriate, rescind funding to programs that fail to comply with the policy established in this order,” which protects women “as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth.”

Following Trump’s order, Maine officials publicly said they would not comply, siding with transgender-identifying males over women and girls and citing state law allowing students to play on teams that match their “gender identity.”

Then a transgender-identifying boy claimed the victory in the Maine Class B championship for the Greely High School girls’ track and field team in February. 

President Trump and Gov. Mills had a public spat on Feb. 20, in which he said at the Republican Governor’s Association dinner that Maine is at risk of losing federal funding if the state continues to allow males to play on female sports teams.

“We are the federal law. You better do it, because you’re not gonna get any federal funding if you don’t… your population also doesn’t want men in women’s sports,” Trump said. “You better comply, or you’re not getting any federal funding.

“See you in court,” Mills replied.

“Good. See you in court, that should be a real easy one,” Trump fired back. “Enjoy your life after, governor, I don’t think you’ll be in elected office.”

Mills and Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey have pledged to fight back against Trump.

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Both the Department of Education (DOE) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) subsequently launched investigations into the state and ultimately found the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) and other entities in violation of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities receiving federal funding. 

On Monday, the DOE sent a letter to the MDOE advising that the sate has until April 11 to meet President Trump’s executive order, which called to “re-write federal Title IX education rules to withhold federal funds from schools that allow transgender athletes to play as females.”

“The Maine Department of Education’s indifference to its past, current, and future female athletes is astonishing. By refusing to comply with Title IX, MDOE allows—indeed, encourages—male competitors to threaten the safety of female athletes, wrongfully obtain girls’ hard-earned accolades, and deny females equal opportunity in educational activities to which they are guaranteed under Title IX,” the letter read.

“Under prior administrations, enforcement was an illusory proposition. No more. The Trump-McMahon Education Department is moving quickly to ensure that federal funds no longer support patently illegal practices that harm women and girls,” it added.

The Department of Agriculture on Wednesday began freezing funds to Maine after multiple requests were sent to Gov. Mills telling her to comply with federal law. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said the halted funds are “for certain administrative and technological functions in schools,” although she did not specify the amount, the Washington Examiner reported. 

“You cannot openly violate federal law against discrimination in education and expect federal funding to continue unabated,” Rollins said in the letter. “Your defiance of federal law has cost your state, which is bound by Title IX in educational programming. Today, I am freezing Maine’s federal funds for certain administrative and technological functions in schools.”

Maine officials have consistently claimed that they are complying with state law, the Maine Human Rights Act, over federal law. The Maine Human Rights Act contains protections for “gender identity,” an element which Maine Republicans want to strip as the debate over transgender-identifying athletes continues. 

Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.