Trump admin cuts funding to Maine universities as state defies order to ban trans athletes from women's sports

Katherine Collins, the mother of Maine student-athletes, joins 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss Gov. Janet Mills threatening to sue President Donald Trump over his transgender athlete ban and Rep. Laurel Libby being censured over the issue.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is pausing funding to the University of Maine System (UMS), a network of eight public colleges in the state, according to UMS officials. The pause is in response to the state's recent refusal to comply with President Donald Trump's executive order to keep transgender athletes out of women's sports. 

The pause in funding comes as the USDA reviews potential Title IX and Title VI violations by the universities, amid the state's recent refusal to comply with Trump's executive order to keep transgender athletes out of women's sports. Trump reaffirmed his intent to punish states that continue to allow trans athletes to compete with girls during his March 4 address to a joint session of Congress.

Trump's administration has now acted on that promise. 

A UMS spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday it has been notified its funding will be paused. 

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"An email forwarded to the University of Maine that appears to have originated from the USDA’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer directs the department’s 'awarding agencies and staff offices to temporarily no longer issue any payments or authorize any other releases of funding to Columbia University or the University of Maine System,'" the spokesperson said.

"The message goes on to state, 'This pause is temporary in nature while USDA evaluates if it should take any follow-on actions related to