A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and the Trump administrationâs policy barring transgender Americans from serving in the U.S. military, while sharply criticizing the lower court judge appointed by President Biden. In a 2-1 ruling, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said the district court âafforded insufficient deference to the Secretaryâs considered judgment,â and stayed the preliminary injunction that had blocked the 2025 policy pending the governmentâs appeal.
Judge Gregory G. Katsas, a Trump appointee, wrote that the military enforces strict medical standards to ensure only physically and mentally fit individuals serve, noting that decades of policy previously excluded those with gender dysphoria. The ruling emphasized that the 2025 policy aims to protect combat readiness, unit cohesion, and cost control, based on studies reviewing prior policy changes and the impacts of gender dysphoria on service members.
The case stems from two executive orders signed by President Trump in January directing the military to eliminate race- or sex-based preferences and reassess standards related to gender identity. Judge Ana Reyes had questioned the administrationâs cost analyses and blocked the policy, prompting sharp public criticism from Hegseth. The Supreme Court previously allowed the administration to enforce its ban as legal challenges moved through lower courts, signaling continued judicial support for the Trump-era policy on transgender military service.
