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By Jason Lemon
Deputy News Director
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Best-selling author Stephen King, a Maine resident and prominent critic of President Donald Trump, has yet to comment after his home state's university system caved to pressure from the White House and restricted transgender athletes from participating in competitive sports.
Newsweek attempted to contact King via his literary agency, his website and on social media for comment on Saturday morning.
Why It Matters
King frequently goes viral on X, formerly Twitter, for his biting criticism and mockery of Trump, billionaire Elon Musk and other Republicans. After a high-profile clash between Maine's Governor Janet Mills and the president last month over transgender athletes competing in school sports, King thanked the Democratic leader in an X post.
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The inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports has drawn increasing criticism from conservative groups, who say it creates an unfair competitive advantage and raises safety concerns, despite transgender athletes making up a small minority in college sports. In December, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) President Charlie Baker told a Senate panel there are fewer than 10 transgender athletes competing as part of the organization.
What To Know
The Department of Agriculture announced on Wednesday that the University of Maine System (UMS) had agreed to comply with Trump's executive order to keep transgender athletes out of women's sports. The federal agency said that UMS is now in full compliance with the president's directive.
"After the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiated a Title IX compliance review regarding federal funding, the University of Maine System (UMaine) has clearly communicated its compliance with Title IX's requirement to protect equal opportunities for women and girls to compete in safe and fair sports, as articulated in President Donald J. Trump's Executive Order," the department said. "Any false claim by the UMaine can, and will, result in onerous and even potentially criminal financial liability."
In fiscal year 2024, the USDA awarded a little over $29 million in funding to UMS for research, UMS said. In a letter addressed to the system in February, the USDA wrote that it has provided over $100 million in recent years.
Janet Mills' Clash With Donald Trump
The announcement came after Mills clashed publicly with Trump over the issue during a White House meeting between the president and governors. On February 21, Trump asked Mills, who previously said Maine would not bar transgender groups from competing in categories matching their gender identity, whether she would comply with the order.
She responded that she was complying with state and federal law. Maine has an anti-discrimination law, which analysts said would prevent organizations enacting a ban like the one Trump ordered.
"We are the federal law," Trump said. "Well, you better do it, because you're not going to get any federal funding at all if you don't. And by the way your population even though it is somewhat liberal, although I did very well there, your population doesn't want men playing in women's sports."
Mills simply responded: "See you in court."
Trump then said: "Good I'll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one."
Commenting on the clash the same day, King wrote on X: "Makes me proud to be a Maine man. Thank you, Governor, for standing up to the bully."
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King's Life in Maine
Born in Portland, Maine, in 1947, King began his career teaching English at Hampden Academy, a public high school in Maine, while writing on evenings and weekends.
Even after achieving worldwide success with over 50 published books, King has maintained his connection to the Pine Tree State where he still lives part-time and regularly contributes to local charitable causes, particularly libraries, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social on Saturday: "While the State of Maine has apologized for their Governor's strong, but totally incorrect, statement about men playing in women's sports while at the White House House Governor's Conference, we have not heard from the Governor herself, and she is the one that matters in such cases. Therefore, 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. I'm sure she will be able to do that quite easily."
Dannel Malloy, the UMS chancellor, told in a statement to NBC News this week: "We are relieved to put the Department's Title IX compliance review behind us so the land-grant University of Maine and our statewide partners can continue to leverage USDA and other essential federal funds to strengthen and grow our natural resource economy and dependent rural communities through world-class education, research and extension."
GLAAD, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, wrote in post on its website published Thursday: "After a high profile confrontation between President Trump and Gov. Janet Mills, six federal agencies swarmed the state to investigate transgender students in school sports. Only two transgender girls are competing this school year, according to the Maine Principals' Association. The response was an excessive and inordinate expenditure of resources. In early March the federal government illegally halted research funding allocated to the University of Maine."
What Happens Next?
King may comment on the issue via one of his social media platforms. The Trump administration has made clear that it fundamentally opposes transgender rights and is expected to continue taking similar action moving forward.
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