The Trump administration has taken its fight to reinstate a ban on transgender military service members to the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn a lower court’s injunction. This latest move escalates the legal battle that has raged since Trump signed an executive order in the first week of his second term.
The administration’s petition asks the high court to allow the ban to take effect while legal challenges continue. This follows a federal appeals court decision that upheld a nationwide block on the policy.
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The core of the dispute rests on President Trump’s assertion that the presence of transgender individuals in the military undermines “an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle” and poses a threat to military readiness.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth subsequently implemented a policy effectively barring transgender individuals from service.
U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle in Tacoma, Washington, delivered a stinging rebuke to the administration’s policy in March, ruling in favor of transgender service members who argued the ban was discriminatory and damaging to their careers.
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Judge Settle, a Republican appointee and former Army JAG officer, questioned the administration’s rationale, noting the lack of evidence supporting claims of negative impact on military effectiveness.
The administration’s Supreme Court petition now puts the issue before the nation’s highest court.
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