Appeals court rules transgender military ban likely illegal

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled Monday that President Donald Trump’s executive order excluding transgender people from military service likely violates their constitutional rights. In a 2-1 decision, the court largely upheld a lower court’s preliminary injunction blocking the removal of current active-duty servicemembers who claim they are the opposite sex, but it allows the ban to apply to new recruits. In January 2025, Trump issued an executive order stating that such people harm military readiness and conflict with standards of an honorable, truthful, disciplined lifestyle, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a policy excluding transgenders from military service. Despite this D.C. appellate court decision, there is no constitutional right guaranteeing anyone acceptance into the U.S. military.