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Category: Politics
April 16, 2025
Politics
World

J.D. Vance Heads to Italy, India. Here’s Why…

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Vice President J.D. Vance is set to begin an international trip to Italy and India, marking his third such journey with the Trump administration. The visit aims to discuss economic and geopolitical priorities with leaders in both nations.

👥 Who’s Involved: Vice President J.D. Vance, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and members of the Second Family are involved.

📍 Where & When: The trip will take place starting Friday, with visits to Rome, New Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra.

💬 Key Quote: A statement from Vance’s office noted the intent to “discuss shared economic and geopolitical priorities.”

⚠️ Impact: The trip coincides with ongoing international interest in negotiating trade deals with the U.S. following the Trump administration’s tariff announcements, highlighting tensions over trade issues.

IN FULL:

Vice President J.D. Vance is preparing to embark on his third major international trip on Friday, heading to Italy and India, where he will meet with national political leaders to discuss critical U.S. economic and geopolitical priorities. While in Rome, Italy, the U.S. Vice President is scheduled to sit down with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Notably, the Vatican is considered a key communication channel in diplomatic circles. Its ambassadors typically have long tenures representing the Holy See in their host countries, allowing for significant political relationships to be forged.

After Italy, Vance will travel to three cities in India: New Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra. While in the South Asian nation, Vance is scheduled to meet with the country’s nationalist Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The Vice President’s office announced that the Second Family would also partake in cultural engagements at yet-to-be-specified sites.

The announcement of Vance’s travels comes amid significant global interest in negotiating trade agreements with the United States. This follows President Donald J. Trump’s April 2 imposition of a 10 percent global tariff and reciprocal tariffs targeting several nations and the European Union (EU), of which Italy is a member state. The bloc was hit with a 20 percent tariff, while Indian goods saw a 26 percent tariff. Subsequently, as countries moved to open trade talks with the U.S., President Trump declared a 90-day pause in the reciprocal tariffs on April 9, leaving only a 10 percent global tariff for everyone but China.

Prior to the meeting with Vance, Italy’s Meloni will be in Washington, D.C. on Thursday to open trade negotiations with President Trump and his Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent.

Vance has emerged as a key international representative of the Trump administration, having previously traveled to Germany for the Munich Security Conference, where he urged European nations to enhance their defense contributions and uphold free speech, and to Greenland’s Pituffik Space Base, for defense reviews and to reiterate American’s continued interest acquiring the Arctic island from Denmark.

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April 16, 2025
William Upton
Politics

White House Unveils Major Overhaul of Federal Procurement System.

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❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump announced significant changes to the Federal procurement policy to enhance competition, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. The existing Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) will be revamped through a comprehensive review by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Trump, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, the Federal Acquisition Regulations Council, and OMB Senior Advisor Kevin Rhodes.

📍 Where & When: Washington, D.C., with the announcement made on April 16.

💬 Key Quote: “This RFO will reduce more than 40 years of bureaucratic buildup that will unleash our procurement system with generational change and results. We are Making America Great Again,” said OMB Senior Advisor Kevin Rhodes.

⚠️ Impact: The anticipated overhaul aims to streamline the procurement process, lower entry barriers for new businesses, and eliminate inefficiencies for government contracts valued at nearly $1 trillion annually.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump has unveiled an initiative to reform the Federal procurement system, significantly altering the rules surrounding government purchasing. Every year, a large portion of government waste is abetted by current procurement rules, which total over 2,000 pages and nearly 3,000 directives. These rules make it difficult for vendors to navigate and allow loopholes that can cause taxpayer dollars to be squandered.

According to the Trump White House, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will overhaul the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). The office is being tasked with streamlining procurement rules to remove redundant and conflicting regulations that have ballooned the total price of annual federal purchases to over $1 trillion over the years.

Under the current byzantine FAR procurement process, massive and bloated consulting firms, contractors, and other vendors hold the advantage because they can absorb the high costs of compliance, leaving new entrants at a disadvantage. The prohibitive compliance costs reduce competition for government contracts and increase the financial hit to taxpayers.

Key changes will include writing the FAR in simpler language, removing non-statutory and repetitive rules, and dismissing outdated requirements. Furthermore, a push for effective procurement is emphasized by discarding unnecessary items like paper straws and focusing on securing high-quality products and services at competitive prices.

“This RFO [Revolutionary FAR Overhaul] will reduce more than 40 years of bureaucratic buildup that will unleash our procurement system with generational change and results. We are Making America Great Again,” OMB Senior Advisor Kevin Rhodes said in a statement following the announcement of President Trump’s reform directive. The initiative complements efforts undertaken by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to reduce federal employee redundancies and government waste.

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April 16, 2025
News
Politics
Sports

Trump Administration Sues Maine Over Transgenders in Girls’ Sports.

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❓What Happened: The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against Maine’s education department over the state’s handling of transgender athletes in girls’ sports.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Department of Education, Maine Governor Janet Mills (D), the Maine Department of Education,

📍 Where & When: The federal legal action against Maine was announced on Wednesday.

💬 Key Quote: “We’ll see you in court,” said Gov. Janet Mills in February during a contentious White House exchange with President Trump regarding Maine’s noncompliance with his Executive Order clarifying Title IX regulations barring biological males competing against women and girls.

⚠️ Impact: The case questions Maine’s adherence to a federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education, with potential implications for federal funding received by the state.

IN FULL:

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a legal action against the State of Maine’s Department of Education for continuing to allow biological males to compete in women’s sports. This comes after the DOJ announced on Monday that it would pursue an enforcement action against the state after receiving a formal referral following a Department of Education investigation.

“We have exhausted every other remedy. We tried to get Maine to comply. We don’t like standing up here and filing lawsuits, we want to get states to comply with us,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Wednesday, with the DOJ lawsuit stating: “The undeniable physiological differences between males and females provide boys with inherent advantages in strength, speed, and physicality that pre-determine the outcome of athletic contests.”

The court filing continues: “The results are stark: girls are displaced from podiums, lose opportunities for advancement to regional and national competitions, and miss out on critical visibility for college scholarships and recognition.”

In February, President Donald J. Trump and Maine’s Democrat Governor, Janet Mills, had a tense exchange during a White House event when the America First leader inquired whether the state would comply with his Executive Order clarifying Title IX to bar biological males from competing in women’s sports. When Mills insisted her state’s pro-transgender policies were already compliant, Trump alluded to possible legal action, with the Maine Democrat responding: “We’ll see you in court.”

The DOJ legal action follows a U.S. Department of Education investigation where Maine was afforded multiple opportunities to alter its state policies to align with the Trump administration’s interpretation of Title IX. “The Department has given Maine every opportunity to come into compliance with Title IX, but the state’s leaders have stubbornly refused to do so, choosing instead to prioritize an extremist ideological agenda over their students’ safety, privacy, and dignity,” the Department of Education’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said after referring the investigation to the DOJ.

Trainor continued: “The Maine Department of Education will now have to defend its discriminatory practices before a Department administrative law judge and in a federal court against the Justice Department. Governor Mills would have done well to adhere to the wisdom embedded in the old idiom—be careful what you wish for. Now she will see the Trump Administration in court.”

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April 16, 2025
Crime
NatSec
Politics

Unmasked: Man’s Disturbing Text Threats to Kill Tulsi Gabbard and Family.

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❓What Happened: Aliakbar Mohammad Amin, a Georgia resident, has been arrested for allegedly making death threats against the U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and her family.

👥 Who’s Involved: Aliakbar Mohammad Amin, Tulsi Gabbard, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

📍 Where & When: The threats were sent between March 29 and April 1, 2025. The arrest took place in Georgia, with the DOJ announcing it had filed federal charges against Amin on Monday.

💬 Key Quote: A threatening message included, “Death to America means death to America literally, Tulsi is living on borrowed time.”

⚠️ Impact: Amin faces charges of transmitting interstate threats. The case underscores ongoing concerns about targeted threats against Trump administration officials.

IN FULL:

A Georgia resident, Aliakbar Mohammad Amin, has been arrested following allegations of making death threats against Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence in the Trump White House, and her family. The threats were reportedly sent between March 29 and April 1, 2025, with personal photographs of Gabbard being used, which she had shared on social media.

These threats have been described as extreme in nature. One communication read, “You and your family are going to die soon… I will personally do the job if necessary,” alongside a text message stating: “Death to America means death to America literally, Tulsi is living on borrowed time.”

“The home you two own… is a legitimate target and will be hit at a time and place of our choosing,” another of the dozens of threats reads, while a fourth text communication warned: “Prepare to die, you, Tulsi, and everyone you hold dear. America will burn.”

In another instance, a threat sent by Amin indicates he may have been influenced by corporate media narratives critical of Gabbard’s less hawkish stance against Russia. “Tell your wife to always be on her best behavior and not to disobey Mr. Vladimir Putin’s orders. We are friendly bears [Russian Flag + Bear emoji]. But we can also be angry bears [Russian Flag + Bear emoji],” Amin wrote in a message sent to Gabbard’s husband, Abraham Williams. Disturbing images, including one showing a gun pointed at pictures of Gabbard and her family, were also part of the communications.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced two charges—relating to transmitting interstate threats—against Amin, 24, on Monday. In recent weeks, there have been several instances of political violence targeting public officials. Over the weekend, a disturbed man in Pennsylvania set fire to the home of Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA).

Additionally, several individuals have been arrested over arson attacks targeting Elon Musk’s Tesla electric vehicles and their showrooms. The National Pulse has also reported that a teenager in Wisconsin is being charged in the murder of his parent, allegedly as part of a plot to use his family’s financial resources to aid a conspiracy to assassinate President Donald J. Trump.

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April 15, 2025
Media
Politics

WaPo Columnist Fears Losing Job if He Critiques Bezos’s New Relationship With Trump.

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❓What Happened: Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin admitted during an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored that he fears being fired if he comments on or critiques the newspaper’s owner, Amazon founder and mega-billionaire Jeff Bezos.

👥 Who’s Involved: Piers Morgan, Josh Rogin, Bill Maher, Jeff Bezos, and Donald J. Trump.

📍 Where & When: The debate occurred on Piers Morgan Uncensored, following Maher’s account of his dinner with President Trump on Real Time, which aired on Friday.

💬 Key Quote: Rogin stated, “I’m not in a position to comment on Jeff Bezos, because if I comment on Jeff Bezos, then I could be fired from my job.”

⚠️ Impact: The conversation highlighted potential double standards in media criticism and raised questions about the influence of media ownership. In recent months, Bezos has taken a more active role in the Washington Post, especially on the newspaper’s editorial side.

IN FULL:

On a recent episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored, columnist Josh Rogin found himself in a tight spot as he was challenged to explain why he criticized comedian Bill Maher‘s recent dinner meeting with Present Donald J. Trump while overlooking similar actions by Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos. Rogin was pressed by host Piers Morgan over dismissing Maher’s engagement with Trump as a “PR stunt,” accusing the host of HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher of inadvertently serving as a tool for Trump’s publicity.

Morgan grilled the Washington Post columnist on his apparent selective criticism, pointing out that Bezos, who owns the newspaper, has had several recent public and private interactions with Trump. “He called him and praised him after he was shot. At a New York Times event in December Bezos said he was optimistic about a second Trump presidency. He had dinner at Mar-a-Lago in December 2024. He pledged a million dollars to Trump’s inauguration fund. He attended the inauguration. Amazon, obviously, one of his, companies [Amazon] streamed Trump’s inauguration on its Prime Video service and is also paying $40 million for a Melania Trump documentary,” Morgan noted.

After several exchanges, Morgan finally drew a stunning confession from Rogin after lampooning the columnist’s unwillingness to discuss Bezos. “All right, but look, Josh, look, if it looks like a duck and it sounds like a duck, it’s probably a duck,” Morgan jabbed, adding: “I mean, you can appreciate that if you’re Bill Maher watching you refusing to be remotely critical of what your own owner has done with Trump in terms of kissing the ring, you could potentially see that he might think there’s a double standard there.”

An exasperated Rogin relented, admitting: “You know, I see what you’re trying to do, Piers, but I’m not in a position to comment on Jeff Bezos, because if I comment on Jeff Bezos, then I could be fired from my job and you know that, so I’m not going to do that.”

The National Pulse reported last October that the Washington Post saw over 200,000 digital readers cancel their subscriptions and its editorial staff revolt against ownership after Bezos and the newspaper’s editorial board decided not to endorse Democratic Party presidential candidate Kamala Harris, choosing instead not to back any candidate. Since the 2024 election, the newspaper has bled subscribers and revenue while facing a second staff revolt in late February of this year when Bezos announced changes to the newspaper’s opinion section, stating it would now focus on promoting “personal liberties and free markets.”

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April 15, 2025
Politics

Biden to Deliver Chicago Speech, First Address Since Election.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Former President Joe Biden is set to deliver his first public speech since leaving office in January.

👥 Who’s Involved: Joe Biden; Advocates, Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled (ACRD); former Gov. Martin O’Malley; and former Sen. Debbie Stabenow.

📍 Where & When: Tuesday evening, at a conference in Chicago.

💬 Key Quote: “We are deeply honored President Biden is making his first public appearance at ACRD’s sold-out conference,” said Rachel Buck, ACRD Executive Director.

⚠️ Impact: Biden’s speech is anticipated to focus on Social Security. However, attention will likely be focused on the octogenarian Democrat’s cognitive state.

IN FULL:

Former President Joe Biden is scheduled to make what is being billed as his first public speaking engagement since leaving office on Tuesday. The former president will deliver the evening keynote address during a conference hosted by the Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled (ACRD), with an expected focus on Social Security.

“We are deeply honored President Biden is making his first public appearance at ACRD’s sold-out conference,” said Rachel Buck, Executive Director of ACRD, in a statment. She continued: “As bipartisan leaders have long agreed, Americans who retire after paying into Social Security their whole lives deserve the vital support and caring services they receive. As a result, we are thrilled the President will be joining us to discuss how we can work together for a stable and successful future for Social Security.”

The address will likely draw significant media and public attention, with extra scrutiny on Biden’s cognitive state. Since the former president left office, the corporate media has admitted that staffers in the Biden White House engaged in a concerted effort to hide the 82-year-old Democrat’s reduced mental faculties from the American public. Biden’s declining cognitive and physical health became particularly evident following a disastrous June 2024 presidential debate with now-President Donald J. Trump, where the octogenarian Democrat appeared confused and physically frail.

Biden will be joined in his keynote address by former Governor Martin O’Malley (D-MD), who also served as Biden’s Social Security Administration commissioner. Additionally, former U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) is slated to speak at the ACRD conference.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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April 15, 2025
William Upton
Education
Politics

Trump Withdraws $2 BILLION from Harvard. Here’s Why…

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The Trump administration is freezing $2 billion in federal funding for Harvard University after the Ivy League institution rejected a set of government policy conditions aimed at addressing anti-Semitic incidents and pro-Hamas protests on its campus.

👥 Who’s Involved: Harvard University, President Donald J. Trump, Harvard President Alan Garber, pro-Hamas demonstrators, and federal officials.

📍 Where & When: Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, and the White House in Washington, D.C., with the funding freeze announced late on April 14, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges,” the Trump administration’s Joint Task Force to combat anti-Semitism said in a statement.

⚠️ Impact: The university is being hit with a freeze on $2.2 billion in multi-year federal grants, and the Trump administration has canceled a $60 million contract with Harvard.

IN FULL:

Late Monday evening, the Trump administration suspended $2.2 billion in multi-year federal grants for Harvard University after the Ivy League academic institution rejected funding conditions U.S. President Donald J. Trump proposed to address anti-Semitism on campus. Earlier Monday, Harvard issued a statement declaring the Trump White House’s push for policy changes at the university to be “illegal.” The Trump White House had previously announced it would condition funding for Harvard on the school adequately addressing anti-Semitic incidents on campus, ensuring viewpoint diversity in its academic programs, and assisting with the federal screening of foreign students for pro-terrorism and extremist ideologies.

“Harvard’s statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges—that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws,” the Joint Task Force to combat anti-Semitism announced in a statement yesterday evening, continuing: “The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable. It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support.”

The statement concluded: “The Joint Task Force to combat anti-Semitism is announcing a freeze on $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60M in multi-year contract value to Harvard University.”

Universities across the United States have seen an explosion in anti-Semitic incidents and the harassment of Jewish students by pro-Hamas demonstrators. In several instances, protests escalated to the point where demonstrators would surround and trap Jewish students in university classrooms and libraries. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has moved to revoke student visas for hundreds of foreign students over their participation in the campus demonstrations and for public pro-Hamas statements.

Image by Adam Fagen.

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April 14, 2025
Crime
Politics

DOJ Charges Suspect in Arson Attacks on Tesla Showroom, GOP Office.

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❓What Happened: Federal authorities detained a man following arson incidents at a Tesla showroom and the Republican Party headquarters in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

👥 Who’s Involved: Jamison Wagner, aged 40, is the suspect in these arson attacks.

📍Where & When: The attacks took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with the Republican Party office fire reported on March 30, 2025, and the Tesla showroom attack occurring on February 9.

💬 Key Quote: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated, “Hurling firebombs is not political protest… it is a dangerous felony that we will prosecute to the maximum extent.”

⚠️ Impact: Wagner faces charges that could lead to up to 20 years in prison per count if found guilty.

IN FULL:

A 40-year-old New Mexico man has been apprehended by federal authorities in relation to arson attacks targeting both a Tesla showroom and the Republican Party headquarters in Albuquerque. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the arrest of Jamison Wagner on Monday, charging him with two federal counts of malicious damage or destruction of property by fire or explosives.

The arrest comes amid a number of recent arrests for attacks and acts of vandalism against Tesla properties and vehicles. Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, have been the target of increasingly violent leftist rhetoric over the billionaire technology mogul’s work with President Donald J. Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—tasked with rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in federal agencies. Wagner’s February 9 arson attack on the Tesla showroom also included the defacement of the building with graffiti carrying incendiary messages against Musk. Two electric vehicles were burned in the Tesla showroom attack, with one being seriously damaged.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has made it clear that such actions are being treated as severe crimes, emphasizing in a statement, “Hurling firebombs is not political protest… it is a dangerous felony that we will prosecute to the maximum extent.”

In late March, Wagner followed up his Tesla showroom attack, this time targeting the Republican Party of New Mexico’s (RPNM) headquarters in Albuquerque using several incendiary devices. The fire damaged the front door and entryway of the RPNM office, and Wagner again defaced the building exterior with graffiti—this time stating “ICE=KKK.”

Wagner is currently in federal custody pending a hearing regarding his detention. He faces upwards of 20 years in prison on each count if convicted.

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April 14, 2025
Education
Politics

Harvard Rejects Trump Admin Instructions to Address Anti-Semitism on Campus, Risking Federal Funding.

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❓What Happened: Harvard University rejected a set of funding conditions from the Trump administration aimed at addressing anti-Semitism and other civil rights issues on its campus on Monday, risking the potential loss of hundreds of millions of federal education dollars.

👥 Who’s Involved: Harvard University, President Donald J. Trump’s administration, and Harvard President Alan M. Garber.

📍 Where & When: The statement was issued by Harvard on Monday through a post on their X (formerly Twitter) account.

💬 Key Quote: “The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” the university stated.

⚠️ Impact: Harvard risks potential federal funding cuts as it opposes the Trump administration’s conditions, which are intended to combat anti-Semitism and involve an audit of class subjects and student admission criteria adjustments.

IN FULL:

Harvard University announced on Monday that it will not comply with a set of conditions issued by President Donald J. Trump’s administration in order to continue receiving federal funding. The Trump White House previously informed the university that future federal funding would be conditioned on its adoption of a proposed series of policy changes aimed at combating antisemitism on campus, eliminating its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, and additional screening of international students for potential terrorist sympathies.

“The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” Harvard University posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, announcing its decision to refuse the government’s funding conditions. Meanwhile, students, teachers, and staff were notified of the university’s decision in a note from Harvard President Alan Garber.

“No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” Garber wrote, alleging: “Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard.”

Harvard’s decision to reject the Trump administration proposal could imperil nearly $9 billion in federal funding. Earlier this year, President Trump moved to cut an estimated $400 million in federal funding earmarked for Columbia University over the school’s failure to handle pro-Hamas and antisemitic protests on campus. The Trump administration has also cut $500 million in funding for Brown University, again citing the school’s failure to address anti-Semitic incidents and pro-Hamas demonstrators.

Additional schools seeing significant funding cuts include Cornell University, which has lost $1 billion in federal dollars, and Northwestern University, which saw a cut of around $790 million.

Image by Joseph Williams.

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April 14, 2025
Politics
Sports

DOJ Launches ‘Enforcement Action’ Investigation Against Maine for Allowing Men in Women’s Sports.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: A U.S. Department of Education investigation into allegations that Maine violated Title IX by allowing men to compete in women’s sports has been referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for enforcement action.

👥 Who’s Involved: The U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Justice, Governor Janet Mills (D-ME), and Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor.

📍 Where & When: The actions are taking place in Maine, with the investigation prompted by an incident in February where a biological male won a Maine women’s high school pole vaulting championship.

💬 Key Quote: “The Department has given Maine every opportunity to come into compliance with Title IX, but the state’s leaders have stubbornly refused to do so,” states Department of Education Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor.

⚠️ Impact: Maine faces loss of federal education funding, with state officials saying they will defend Maine’s transgender athlete policy in federal court.

IN FULL:

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is taking over a Title IX violation case in Maine, signaling it will launch legal action against the state following an investigation by the Department of Education. In February, a biologically male high school athlete—who goes by Katie Spencer—won the state’s Class B girls’ pole vaulting championship, prompting a federal investigation into whether the state violated an Executive Order signed by President Donald J. Trump barring males from participating in women’s sports.

“The Department has given Maine every opportunity to come into compliance with Title IX, but the state’s leaders have stubbornly refused to do so, choosing instead to prioritize an extremist ideological agenda over their students’ safety, privacy, and dignity,” the Department of Education’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a statement. He added: “The Maine Department of Education will now have to defend its discriminatory practices before a Department administrative law judge and in a federal court against the Justice Department. Governor Mills would have done well to adhere to the wisdom embedded in the old idiom—be careful what you wish for. Now she will see the Trump Administration in court.”

Maine’s assistant attorney general, Sarah Foster, contends that her state’s policy allowing biologically male transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports is Title IX compliant. “Nothing in Title IX or its implementing regulations prohibits schools from allowing transgender girls and women to participate on girls’ and women’s sports teams,” Foster argued in a letter to the DOJ. She added: “Your letters to date do not cite a single case that so holds. To the contrary, various federal courts have held that Title IX and/or the Equal Protection Clause require schools to allow such participation.”

In late February, Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) clashed with Trump during a lunch event at the White House when the President pressed Mills on whether her state would comply with his women’s sports directive. When the Maine Democrat insisted that her state was already in compliance, President Trump shot back: “Well, we are the federal law… You’d better do it, because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t.”

Following the White House exchange, the U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation to determine whether Maine had violated Title IX regulations. Subsequently, the Trump administration has moved to cut federal funding for the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) over the state’s refusal to comply with Trump’s women’s sports order.

The National Pulse reported in March that the University of Maine System (UMS) reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to adhere to Trump’s Executive Order. UMS, comprising eight public universities in Maine, faced a suspension of federal funding from the USDA.

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