Federal judge orders Trump administration to unfreeze school lunch money after transgender athlete dispute escalates between President and Maine Governor
A dramatic showdown over school lunches has erupted between the White House and the Pine Tree State.
A Presidential Confrontation That Started It All
The tension began with five words that ricocheted through political circles: "See you in court."
Those were the defiant words Maine Governor Janet Mills fired back at President Trump during a White House governors' meeting on February 21st.
The exchange wasn't about border security or tax policy. It was about transgender athletes in school sports.
Trump had issued an executive order in early February barring transgender student athletes from playing on girls' sports teams.
The order came with a significant threat - schools that didn't comply would lose federal funding.
But Maine stood firm. The state's Principals' Association declared it would continue allowing transgender girls to compete, citing that state law protected this right.
The Escalation Nobody Expected
What began as a policy disagreement quickly evolved into something far more serious.
On April 2nd, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins sent a letter to Governor Mills that sent shockwaves through Maine's education system.
"You better do it, because you're not going to get any federal funding at all if you don't," Trump had warned Mills at their face-to-face meeting.
The administration wasn't bluffing.
The USDA announced it was pausing funding for certain administrative and technological functions in Maine schools.
This wasn't just any funding - it was money that helped feed schoolchildren.
A Presidential Demand for Apology
As legal battles began brewing, Trump took to social media with an unusual demand.
He insisted that Governor Mills issue "a full throated apology" for challenging his executive order.
"We need a full throated apology from the Governor herself, and a statement that she will never make such an unlawful challenge to the Federal Government again, before this case can be settled," the President wrote.
The administration didn't stop at the USDA.
Multiple federal agencies launched investigations into Maine, including the Education Department and the Department of Health and Human Services.
All cited concerns over Title IX, which prohibits discrimination in education based on sex.
The Court Steps In
Maine refused to back down, filing a legal complaint on Monday.
The state argued that the USDA had failed to follow mandatory statutory and regulatory steps before terminating federal funds.
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey emphasized a critical point in the suit: this was money used to feed schoolchildren.
On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge John Woodcock made his ruling - one that delivered a significant blow to the administration's pressure campaign.
The judge granted Maine's request for a temporary restraining order, forcing the Trump administration to immediately unfreeze the USDA funding that had been withheld from the state.
The USDA has not yet responded to requests for comment on the judge's decision, leaving questions about whether the administration will appeal or pursue other avenues to enforce its transgender athlete policy.
For now, Maine's school lunch programs will continue receiving their federal funding while the larger legal battle over transgender athletes in school sports plays out in the courts.
