Susan Collins says Trump is right to probe Maine over transgender athletes

The Hill

01-04-2025

Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), a prominent Senate Republican moderate, says President Trump is right to scrutinize her state's law that 'allows biological males to play in girls' sports,' calling the law contrary to the 'spirit and intent' of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination at schools.
'I believe that the State of Maine is under scrutiny because of the state law that allows biological males to play in girls' sports. And that is contrary, not just to the President's executive order, but what I believe is the very spirit and intent of Title IX, which was to provide sports and other athletic activities to girls in a safe and fair way,' Collins said in a Monday statement.
The Trump administration launched an investigation after school officials in Maine said they would not comply with his executive order to bar transgender women and girls from participating in women's sports.
Collins said it is 'critically important to treat people who are transgender with respect and dignity' but she argued that the state must still comply with Title IX.
She said the need to treat transgender students respectfully 'does not change the fact that Title IX, which passed in 1972, has greatly expanded opportunities for girls and young women to participate in organized sports at the high school and college levels.'
She said the landmark law did so by 'mandating equal access to athletic resources and facilities on the basis of sex — not on the basis of gender identity.'
'Safe and fair athletic competition has been one of the keys to the success of Title IX. That is why I do not believe that transgender athletes should compete in girls' and women's athletics,' Collins said. 'That is why I do not believe that transgender athletes should compete in girls' and women's athletics.'
The Health and Human Services department has claimed that Maine's Department of Education and its schools are violating Title IX by allowing transgender athletes to compete against girls.
The Trump administration is also investigating whether Maine schools broke the law by withholding information about gender-transitioning students from parents.
Trump signed an executive order in early February to 'rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities.' It also made it the policy of the United States to 'oppose male competitive participation in women's sports more broadly, as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity and truth.'
Later that month, Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) publicly clashed at the White House over the issue.
'I'm complying with state and federal law,' Mills told the president after he asked if she would comply with his executive order.
'We are the federal law. You better do it because you're not going to get federal funding,' Trump said.
'See you in court,' Mills responded.
On March 11, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it was temporarily pausing funding to the University of Maine system 'while USDA evaluates if it should take any follow-on actions related to prospective Title VI or Title IX violations.'
Collins is a top Democratic target in the 2026 midterm election as she is the only Senate Republican running for reelection in a state that former Vice President Kamala Harris won in November.
Collins won reelection in 2020 despite Democrats pouring tens of millions of dollars into Maine to defeat her. She won by nearly 10 percentage points that year despite Joe Biden also winning the state.