Trump Admin Handed Legal Loss Over Transgender Troops Ban in Stinging Order

The Trump administration’s motion to dissolve a court order blocking the president’s ban on transgender military troops was denied on Wednesday.

Newsweek reached out to the Department of Defense (DOD) via email for comment Wednesday night.

Why It Matters

President Donald Trump has issued several executive orders and previously pushed policies aimed at rolling back rights for transgender people since his inauguration in January.

The president signed a ban against openly transgender people serving in the U.S. military in an executive order one week into his second term, claiming that transgender troops hinder “excellence” and “readiness.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later issued a memo saying that transgender people would no longer be allowed to enlist in the military while asserting that service members with gender dysphoria who are already in the military would be “treated with dignity and respect.”

The DOD then requested that transgender troops be identified and separated.

Military troops — U.S. Marines salute Vice President JD Vance as he walks up to greet them during a visit to Marine Corps Base Quantico on March 26 in Quantico, Virginia. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

What To Know

In the order on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., wrote, “The Court DENIES the Motion to Dissolve the Preliminary Injunction and Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal.”

The Pentagon requested for Reyes’ original ruling blocking the executive order be reversed. The ban was originally set to go into effect on Friday. Reyes gave the administration until 7 p.m. ET that day to file an emergency stay in the D.C. circuit, the order says.

Concluding her order, Reyes said: “As the Court predicted, its Opinion has generated heated public debate, and Defendants will appeal. This is all to the good. But let’s recall that our servicemembers make the debate and appeals possible. Their sacrifices breathe life into the phrase, ‘one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.’ The Court, again, thanks them. All.”

Reyes was appointed to the bench by former President Joe Biden in 2023.

What People Are Saying

Hegseth posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday: “Since ‘Judge’ Reyes is now a top military planner, she/they can report to Fort Benning at 0600 to instruct our Army Rangers on how to execute High Value Target Raids…after that, Commander Reyes can dispatch to Fort Bragg to train our Green Berets on counterinsurgency warfare.”

Paul Szypula, a Trump supporter with over 300,000 followers on X, said this month on the platform: “US District Judge Ana Reyes is as insufferable as ever and acting like a teenage girl. She’s an activist for the Democrat Party and a gender ideologist. Her rulings against the Fed should be ignored. She should be prosecuted and jailed for abuse of her power. Enough already.”

GLAD Law Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights Jennifer Levi said this month about Reyes’ first ruling: “Today’s decisive ruling speaks volumes. The Court’s unambiguous factual findings lay bare how this ban specifically targets and undermines our courageous service members who have committed themselves to defending our nation. Given the Court’s clear-eyed assessment, we are confident this ruling will stand strong on appeal.”