'No sir, you are not': Maine newspaper issues Trump civics lesson as he threatens state [View all]

Source: Raw Story

February 22, 2025 4:23PM ET


An editorial in a Maine newspaper took direct aim at Donald Trump Saturday after the president issued a direct threat to the state. The Bangor Daily News’ editorial board issued its scathing putdown after Trump directed comments to the state’s Democratic governor, Janet Mills, as she attended a White House luncheon Friday.

He hit out because Maine has refused to change laws regarding transgender athletes in student sports. “You’d better do it because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t,” he told her. When she hit back with, “I’m complying with state and federal laws,” Trump told her, “we are the federal law.”

“No sir, you are not the federal law,” the newspaper schooled him. “Congress, not the president, writes and amends the laws of the United States. Congress, not the president, allocates funding to federal agencies and programs. Federal courts are upholding these core tenets of our democracy as Trump seeks to undermine them.”

The editorial board had nothing but praise for Mills, and how she politely refused to back down to Trump’s attack. “The governor’s message was simple: Maine will follow the law,” the board wrote. “She didn’t get into her personal feelings about transgender athletes or any other American. Because her personal feelings don’t matter. The governor, like the president, is responsible for upholding laws that protect the rights of all Mainers and all Americans.

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/maine-governor-trump/?utm_source=superhead