A political feud between President Donald Trump and Maine Governor Janet Mills has escalated into a multi-agency campaign of retaliation, prompting calls for the resignation of a top federal official.
The conflict began during a February White House event for the National Governors Association, where President Trump confronted Governor Mills, a Democrat, over her stance on transgender student-athletes. The governor refused to back down, responding firmly: “See you in court.”
Rather than resolve the dispute through legal channels, the Trump administration appears to have taken punitive measures against Maine. In late February, the acting head of the Social Security Administration, Leland Dudek, ordered the termination of two data collection contracts with the state. According to internal emails, Dudek was warned that ending the contracts would increase identity fraud and improper payments—but dismissed those concerns, prioritizing political retribution instead.
“Mills was disrespectful and unprofessional,” Dudek wrote in an email obtained by the press. “While our improper payments will go up, and fraudsters may compromise identities, no money will go from the public trust to a petulant child.”
Though the decision was later reversed, the incident has triggered a political firestorm. Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly, ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, has publicly called for Dudek’s resignation, citing abuse of authority.
The retaliation did not stop at the Social Security Administration. Trump’s Department of Education recently launched an inquiry into Maine, and the Department of Agriculture announced this week that it had frozen federal funding for education programs in the state moves widely viewed as part of a broader effort to pressure Mills and her administration.
Critics argue the coordinated actions represent a dangerous politicization of federal agencies and a stark warning to states that challenge the administration’s agenda.
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