U.S.
Judge blocks Trump admin from implementing transgender military ban
By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), Shea Taylor (Producer), Snorre Wik (Director of Photography/Non-Linear Editor)
- A district judge issued a ruling blocking the implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender people from enlisting or serving in the military. The injunction won’t go into effect until Friday, March 21, to give the government time to appeal.
- The judge said that the government could have crafted a policy that balances the need for military preparedness with America’s right to equal protection.
- This new order goes much further than a similar policy Trump issued during his first term.
Full Story
A federal judge has indefinitely blocked enforcement of the Trump administration’s ban on transgender people enlisting or serving in the military.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 25%
Center 57%
Right 19%
Bias Summary
- A federal judge blocked a Defense Department policy preventing transgender people from serving in the U.S. military, granting preliminary injunctions for transgender active-duty members and enlistees.
- U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ordered the block against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's enforcement of President Trump's executive order.
- The judge temporarily paused her ruling until March 21 to allow the Justice Department to seek emergency relief.
- Reyes stated the military ban denies equal protection rights to transgender servicemembers who have risked their lives, emphasizing that "all people are created equal."
- A judge blocked the U.S. military from enforcing Trump's executive order to ban transgender people from serving.
- The judge said the ban is "soaked in animus and dripping with pretext" and transgender troops can ensure military excellence.
- The preliminary injunction against the ban will be paused until Friday to give the administration time to appeal.
- A federal judge temporarily blocked the U.S. military from enforcing President Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender individuals from military service while a lawsuit proceeds.
- U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes found that Trump's order likely violates the U.S. Constitution's prohibition on sex discrimination.
- Plaintiffs argue that the order harms the rights of transgender troops and military readiness, as they seek to continue serving without prejudice.
Bias Comparison
Media outlets on the left
framed the judge’s decision as a victory against prejudice, using emotionally charged language like “soaked in animus” and “unabashedly demeaning” to describe the blocked policy.
Media outlets in the center
offered a more neutral presentation.
Media outlets on the right
focused on the timeline and justifications for the ban, including the government’s arguments about military suitability and citing Trump’s rationale regarding gender identity.
Report an issue with this comparison
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
Left
+0
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Untracked Bias
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329 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
329
Leaning Left
59
Center
134
Leaning Right
44
Last Updated
2 days ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
What did the judge say?
In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said the ban violates the equal protection clause because it discriminates based on transgender status and sex.
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In her opinion, the judge wrote that the law’s language “is unabashedly demeaning, its policy stigmatizes transgender persons as inherently unfit, and its conclusions bear no relation to fact.”
She added in her order that the government “could have crafted a policy that balances the nation’s need for a prepared military and Americans’ right to equal protection.”
“They still can,” she said. “The military ban, however, is not that policy. The court therefore must act to uphold the equal protection rights that the military defends every day.”
Differences from Trump’s previous policy
Trump’s new order goes much further than a similar policy he issued during his first term.
While that order did ban trans people from enlisting, it still allowed those already serving to continue doing so in a manner consistent with their gender identities and continue receiving transition-related medical care if they came out before the ban.
When does the block take effect?
Reyes delayed the effect of her preliminary injunction until Friday to give the administration time to appeal.
Tags: Courts, Donald Trump, Executive Order, federal judge, Gender equality, Gender identity, Health Care, Lawsuit, Sex, Transgender, U.S. military
[Craig Nigrelli]
A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS INDEFINITELY BLOCKED ENFORCEMENT OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S BAN ON TRANSGENDER PEOPLE ENLISTING OR SERVING IN THE MILITARY.
IN HER RULING – U-S DISTRICT JUDGE ANA REYES SAID THE BAN VIOLATES THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE BECAUSE IT DISCRIMINATES BASED ON TRANSGENDER STATUS AND SEX.
IN HER OPINION – THE JUDGE WROTE THE LAW’S LANGUAGE QUOTE…
“IS UNABASHEDLY DEMEANING, ITS POLICY STIGMATIZES TRANSGENDER PERSONS AS INHERENTLY UNFIT, AND ITS CONCLUSIONS BEAR NO RELATION TO FACT.”
REYES DELAYED THE EFFECT OF HER PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION UNTIL FRIDAY – TO GIVE THE ADMINISTRATION TIME TO APPEAL.
SHE ADDED IN HER ORDER THAT THE GOVERNMENT QUOTE “COULD HAVE CRAFTED A POLICY THAT BALANCES THE NATION’S NEED FOR A PREPARED MILITARY AND AMERICANS’ RIGHT TO EQUAL PROTECTION.”
ADDING – “THEY STILL CAN.
THE MILITARY BAN, HOWEVER, IS NOT THAT POLICY.
THE COURT THEREFORE MUST ACT TO UPHOLD THE EQUAL PROTECTION RIGHTS THAT THE MILITARY DEFENDS EVERY DAY.”
TRUMP’S NEW ORDER GOES MUCH FURTHER THAN A SIMILAR POLICY HE ISSUED DURING HIS FIRST TERM.
WHILE THAT ORDER DID BAN TRANS PEOPLE FROM ENLISTING… IT STILL ALLOWED THOSE ALREADY SERVING TO CONTINUE DOING SO IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH THEIR GENDER IDENTITIES AND CONTINUE RECEIVING TRANSITION-RELATED MEDICAL CARE IF THEY CAME OUT BEFORE THE BAN.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 25%
Center 57%
Right 19%
Bias Summary
- A federal judge blocked a Defense Department policy preventing transgender people from serving in the U.S. military, granting preliminary injunctions for transgender active-duty members and enlistees.
- U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ordered the block against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's enforcement of President Trump's executive order.
- The judge temporarily paused her ruling until March 21 to allow the Justice Department to seek emergency relief.
- Reyes stated the military ban denies equal protection rights to transgender servicemembers who have risked their lives, emphasizing that "all people are created equal."
- A judge blocked the U.S. military from enforcing Trump's executive order to ban transgender people from serving.
- The judge said the ban is "soaked in animus and dripping with pretext" and transgender troops can ensure military excellence.
- The preliminary injunction against the ban will be paused until Friday to give the administration time to appeal.
- A federal judge temporarily blocked the U.S. military from enforcing President Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender individuals from military service while a lawsuit proceeds.
- U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes found that Trump's order likely violates the U.S. Constitution's prohibition on sex discrimination.
- Plaintiffs argue that the order harms the rights of transgender troops and military readiness, as they seek to continue serving without prejudice.
Bias Comparison
Media outlets on the left
framed the judge’s decision as a victory against prejudice, using emotionally charged language like “soaked in animus” and “unabashedly demeaning” to describe the blocked policy.
Media outlets in the center
offered a more neutral presentation.
Media outlets on the right
focused on the timeline and justifications for the ban, including the government’s arguments about military suitability and citing Trump’s rationale regarding gender identity.
Report an issue with this comparison
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
Left
+0
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Untracked Bias
Click to close
329 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
329
Leaning Left
59
Center
134
Leaning Right
44
Last Updated
2 days ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
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