Hugh Hewitt weighed in Friday on Fox News on the issue involving the governor of Maine and federal challenges over transgender athletes participating in women’s sports.
During a White House event on Friday, President Donald Trump clashed with Democratic Gov. Janet Mills of Maine regarding the participation of biological men in women’s sports. Hewitt said the majority of Maine’s residents are likely to oppose the governor’s stance, predicting an 80-20 split against her position.
“They’re not going to be on the governor’s side here. They’re going to split 80 to 20, and they’re going to be upset if the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights concludes that Maine is in violation of Title IX, which I believe they will, and they’re gonna lose a lot of money,” Hewitt said.
Hewitt said that the incident at the sports event, where a transgender girl outperformed her competitors, has not only caused a stir locally but it has also attracted national attention.
“Everyone on that stand, the silver medalist, the bronze medalist, the other runner-up, were not happy either because the crown champion, the biological boy now, transgender girl, won the boys’ championship, or did very well last year, came in six or something like that, and he beat her by the next closest competitor by six inches, shattering records,” Hewitt said.
This issue, Hewitt said, is not one that Democrats might want to define their party by.
“So it’s not an issue which Democrats want to define their party on, but that exchange today, Donald Trump seized high ground, he’s gonna stand on it, and it was a big win for the president,” Hewitt said.
Prior to Hewitt’s comments, Democratic strategist Leslie Marshall defended Mills but said there are far more important issues at hand.
“It’s not the most important issue. It’s not even top 10 amongst the people of Maine or the people of the United States,” Marshall said. “Maine cares about what their prices are at the gas pump. What their prices are at the grocery store. They care about what their prices are when they go to the pharmacy and they have to buy insulin and other things.”
Host Bret Baier asked why Mills was so adamant on spending money defending biological men playing in women’s sports. “Many people are fighting the federal government on a number of things, and, you know, for her, this is her mountain to die on,” Marshall said. Baier then said that Marshall’s argument “just goes the other way.”
Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 5 that cuts federal funding to schools permitting biological men who call themselves women to compete in women’s sports. Trump argued with Mills over her state’s resistance to this order, sparked by a discussion about a transgender man competing in women’s boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Following this incident, Department of Education officials said that they are investigating Maine for possible Title IX violations.
“Maine would have you believe that it has no choice in how it treats women and girls in athletics – that is, that it must follow its state laws and allow male athletes to compete against women and girls,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a statement released by the Department of Education.
Featured Image Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America
