Bondi warns states to comply with Trump order on transgender athletes

Attorney General Pam Bondi warned officials in Maine, California and Minnesota on Tuesday to comply with President Trump’s executive orders to bar transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports, promising swift legal action.

“This Department of Justice will hold accountable states and state entities that violate federal law,” Bondi wrote Tuesday in letters addressed to Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D), California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Executive Director Ron Nocetti, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) and Erich Martens, executive director of the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL).

Officials in each of the states have said state antidiscrimination laws protecting transgender people prevent them from complying with Trump’s order, one of several the president has signed targeting trans Americans since his return to office.

Trump sparred with Mills at a National Governors Association session last week at the White House over Maine’s refusal to ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports. The previous evening, Trump told a meeting for the Republican Governor’s Association that he would withhold federal funding from Maine if the state continued to ignore his order.

“See you in court,” Mills told Trump during the White House event, responding to the president’s threat to the state’s funding.

The CIF and MSHSL have said they will follow state laws that allow transgender students to compete in sports consistent with their gender identity, and Ellison, in an opinion issued last week, said Trump’s order violates the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.

Trump’s executive order cannot supersede state law, Ellison wrote, because it lacks “the force and effect of law.” Executive orders, which direct the federal government to enforce laws, are not laws in and of themselves.

Maine, California and Minnesota, among other states, are the subjects of investigations launched by the Education Department into whether they violated Title IX — the federal civil rights law against sex discrimination — by failing to comply with Trump’s order. Officials for each state did not return a request for comment.

In a news release on Tuesday, Bondi said the Justice Department “does not tolerate state officials who ignore federal law.”

“We will leverage every legal option necessary to ensure state compliance with federal law and President Trump’s executive order protecting women’s sports,” she said.

Bondi wrote in the letters that, because Title IX is a federal law, it does not matter if “state law allows, or even requires, state athletic associations or other similar entities to require girls to compete against boys in sports and athletic events. Where federal and state law conflict, states and state entities are required to follow federal law.”

Bondi’s letters, as with other Trump White House writings, do not use the word transgender despite speaking about trans individuals directly.

If any of the states are found to have violated Title IX, Bondi wrote in the letters, “the Department of Justice stands ready to take all appropriate action to enforce federal law.”

“I hope that it does not come to this,” she wrote. “The Department of Justice does not want to have to sue states or state entities, or to seek termination of their federal funds. We only want states and state entities to comply with the law. And federal law requires giving girls an equal opportunity to participate in sports and athletic events by ensuring that girls need to compete only with other girls, not with boys.”

Topics

Pennsylvania changes policy to follow Trump order on transgender athletes in high school sports

Pennsylvania’s governing body for high school sports has changed its policy that allowed transgender athletes to compete in prep athletics to follow President Donald Trump’s executive order.
NBC News - 9h
Trump threatens to withhold federal funds from Maine over transgender athletes

President Trump is threatening to withhold federal funds from Maine if it continues allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ and women’s sports in defiance of a recent executive order. ...
The Hill - 4d
'We are the federal law': Trump, Maine governor clash over transgender athletes

President Trump and Maine’s Democratic Gov. Janet Mills briefly quarreled Friday at a National Governors Association session at the White House after Trump told a meeting of Republican governors he ...
The Hill - 4d
Trump spars with Maine’s governor at the White House over transgender athletes

Trump sparred with Maine’s Democratic governor during a meeting of governors at the White House, with Gov. Janet Mills telling the Trump, “We’ll see you in court,” over his push to deny federal ...
NBC News - 4d
Federal Judge Shields More Transgender Inmates From Trump Order

A group of transgender women in federal prisons who would have been moved into men’s facilities can stay where they are for now.
The New York Times - 1d
Trump administration hasn't complied with order to halt foreign aid freeze, judge says

The Trump administration has not fully complied with a court order pausing the freezing of foreign assistance grants and contracts, a federal judge ruled.
NBC News - 5d
Trans athletes on Trump’s executive order: ‘Stripping us of sports is devastating’

The NCAA has ruled only women assigned female at birth can compete in college sports. We spoke to some of those affected by the ban. On 5 February 2025 – coinciding with Women and Girls in Sports ...
The Guardian - 19h
Eye Opener: Trump, Maine Gov. Janet Mills have tense exchange over transgender athletes

President Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills had a testy exchange Friday during his remarks to governors Friday over Trump's transgender sports ban. Meanwhile, a town in Brazil has declared a state ...
CBS News - 3d
LGBTQ health groups sue Trump over orders targeting diversity, transgender rights

Nine LGBTQ, health and HIV organizations sued the Trump administration Thursday over three executive orders targeting transgender people and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which ...
The Hill - 5d
Tense moments between Trump, Maine governor on transgender executive order, reporters say

Reporters covering President Trump's working session with U.S. governors are noting his tense exchange involving Maine Gov. Janet Mills regarding the executive order on transgender athletes. CBS ...
CBS News - 4d
'See you in court': Trump and Maine governor clash over trans athlete order

President Trump called out Maine Gov. Janet Mills at a meeting of governors at the White House over her state not complying with his executive order to ban transgender athletes from women's sports.
NBC News - 4d
Beware of text messages about unpaid tolls, FBI and state authorities warn

Drivers should be on the lookout for scam text messages warning of an unpaid road toll bill, according to recent warnings from authorities.
The Hill - 2d
Trump Clashes With Maine’s Governor, Janet Mills, Over Trans Athletes

President Trump asked Gov. Janet Mills if her state would comply with the executive order he signed banning transgender athletes from women’s sports. He didn’t like her answer.
The New York Times - 4d
Comparing Trump's executive orders with Project 2025 promises

According to a CBS News analysis, President Trump has signed 73 executive orders so far, targeting everything from the border to the environment and federal spending. Many online users have pointed ...
CBS News - 5d
Ohio Republican pushes for Congress to act on Trump's orders

Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Ohio) on Thursday urged Congress to act on President Trump's executive orders, saying the national legislature "must do its job." "It’s up to us on Capitol Hill to make ...
The Hill - 4d
Macron to warn Trump against looking weak to Putin

The French president is at the White House to appeal to Trump against rushing into a deal with Russia.
BBC News - 1d
Judge blocks Trump order that paused refugee admissions

U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead found President Donald Trump's day one order likely exceeded his authority.
NBC News - 7h
How Trump's tariffs on Mexico and Canada will sweep across the U.S., state by state

From Maine to Montana to New Mexico, states across the U.S. will face significant economic issues from President Donald Trump's trade war on Mexico and Canada.
CNBC - 7h
Trump's birthright order to remain blocked; Pentagon to cut $50B

The Pentagon is in the cost-cutting crosshairs of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth orders officials to find $50 billion in cuts to the defense ...
NBC News - 5d
Trump Tests Fed’s Independence With Order Expanding Authority Over Agencies

A directive calling for oversight over the central bank’s regulatory and supervisory responsibilities has set off alarm.
The New York Times - 5d
Trump executive order could cut ‘infant assistance’ benefits for undocumented migrants

NBC News Homeland Security Correspondent Julia Ainsley joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss a new executive order from President Trump and the latest legal challenges to his administration's ...
NBC News - 5d
Mangione receives large donation after Trump death penalty order

The donor said the death penalty should not be politicized.
The Hill - 4d
Judge 'dissolves' order preventing Trump administration from overhauling USAID

A federal judge moved to "dissolve" a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from hollowing out the U.S. Agency for International Development.
ABC News - 4d
Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump DEI executive orders

A federal judge has temporarily blocked parts of President Trump’s executive orders that sought to end the federal government’s backing of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. U.S. ...
The Hill - 4d
Judge blocks Trump's executive order ending federal support for DEI programs

A federal judge has blocked a sweeping executive order from President Trump that sought to end government support for programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
CBS News - 4d
Trump signs order protecting American companies from ‘overseas extortion’

President Trump issued a memo on Friday that seeks to protect American companies and innovators from what he called "overseas extortion," adding to a bevy of actions proposed in his first month in ...
The Hill - 3d
Oversight Democrats warn Trump on plans to 'dismantle' Postal Service

Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee on Saturday urged President Trump to abandon plans to reform the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) after he said he was considering a “merger” for the ...
The Hill - 3d
Musk sends warning to federal employees over new Trump policy

Elon Musk, special advisor to President Trump, warned federal employees on Saturday of a new policy requiring them to detail their work efforts via email in order to keep their jobs. “Consistent ...
The Hill - 3d
Trump halts medical research funding in apparent violation of judge’s order

Health department orders NIH to hold Federal Register submissions – critical step in process for funding studies. The Trump administration has blocked a crucial step in the National Institutes of ...
The Guardian - 2d
Hegseth: Fired military lawyers were potential 'roadblocks' to Trump orders

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the three fired judge advocates general (JAGs) were potential “roadblocks” to President Trump’s orders. "It's not about roadblocks to an agenda,” ...
The Hill - 1d
Trump defying a court order would trigger a constitutional crisis

The administration can disagree with judicial rulings all it wants, but one thing is clear: it can’t disobey them.
The Hill - 9h
Judge orders Trump administration to quickly release stopped up foreign aid

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration has less than two days to release billions of dollars in blocked foreign aid after determining it failed to comply with a previous court order to ...
The Hill - 8h
Judge orders Trump administration to pay bills to foreign aid contractors

U.S. District Judge Amir Ali issued a temporary restraining order on Feb. 13 that ordered the State Department and USAID to restore foreign assistance funds.
CBS News - 10h
Teachers union sues over Trump admin’s DEI warning to schools

The American Federation of Teachers sued the Trump administration Tuesday over its warning to schools that they may lose federal funding if they persist with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) ...
The Hill - 4h
Some Agencies Urge Staff Not to Comply With Elon Musk’s Performance Email

The F.B.I. director, Kash Patel, the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, and others told employees not to respond to a directive from Mr. Musk to summarize their accomplishments.
The New York Times - 2d
'Radical change': Inside Trump's State Department takeover of USAID

A State Department official told leaders of foreign aid groups that U.S. foreign aid funding was undergoing "radical change," according to audio obtained by ABC News.
ABC News - 1d
Arizona's Democratic governor starts state partnership with the Trump administration on immigration

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed an executive order Tuesday directing state and local law enforcement agencies to partner with Customs and Border Protection to prevent border crimes such as drug and ...
NBC News - 10h
In the Trump Era, Crafting a State Budget Becomes More Complicated

With funding from Washington uncertain, New Jersey, like other states, is budgeting cautiously.
The New York Times - 5h
US politics briefing: Trump administration warns Kyiv and picks up court win in mass firings case

From the Trump administration’s latest moves abroad and in the US – here are the key US politics stories from Thursday at a glance. Thursday saw a judge rule that the Trump administration can ...
The Guardian - 5d