BANGOR — Gov. Janet Mills said Monday she will continue to stand for the “rule of law” as a dispute with President Donald Trump over the state’s decision to allow transgender girls’ to participate in sports continues.

On Saturday, Trump demanded a “full-throated apology” from Mills following a public spat last month in which Mills told the president she would see him in court.

Mills responded Monday, telling reporters after an event in Bangor that she doesn’t reply to other leaders via social media.

“First of all, I don’t communicate with public officials by tweet or Instagram or social media,” she said. “My issue is about the rule of law, pure and simple. It’s not about transgender sports. It’s about who makes the laws and who enforces the laws.”

She went on to say that she’s read the Constitution, which gives the president the power to execute laws, not make them.

“It doesn’t allow him to make laws out of whole cloth by tweet or Instagram post or press release or executive order,” she said. “That’s just fundamental law and I stand for the rule of law and the separation of powers.”

The dispute, which has resulted federal investigations of the Maine Department of Education, the University of Maine and others, began last month when Trump called Mills out during an event with governors.

Trump asked Mills if she would comply with his executive order banning transgender girls from competing on girls’ sports teams. Mills said she would follow state and federal law, prompting Trump to say that he would withhold federal funding if she failed to comply.

The federal government then announced investigations into the state’s compliance with Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on sex. Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services gave the state ten days to comply or potentially face a lawsuit.

In his Saturday post on Truth Social, Trump said “the state of Maine” has apologized for Mills’ “totally incorrect statement about men playing in women’s sports.” But he said they haven’t heard from the governor and “she is the one that matters in such cases.”

While talking to reporters on Monday, Mills said the issue isn’t about transgender participation in sports. She said if Trump wants to protect women and girls, he could make sure they have access to health care, equal pay and good jobs.

“If the current occupant of the White House wants to protect women and girls, he should start by protecting the women and teenage girls who are suffering miscarriages and dying because they can’t get basic, lifesaving health care in states across this country,” she said.

She said the issue with the Trump administration is about “state’s rights and protecting all of our people.”

“There’s a separation of powers issue here, there’s a rule of law issue here, and I abide by the rule of law, respect the rule of law,” she said.