Federal Court Rules Trump Ban on Trans Servicemembers Is Unconstitutional

Federal judges on Monday ruled that President Trump's ban on transgender individuals serving in the US military was unconstitutional. Left- and right-leaning outlets differed in which perspectives they amplified, with left-leaning outlets more often contextualizing the ban within a broader targeting of transgender groups.

The Details: In a 2-1 decision, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the policy was "likely unconstitutional," though the ruling only applied to the 28 plaintiffs who sued the Trump administration. The Pentagon can still prevent transgender individuals from enlisting in the military. In a written opinion, Judge Robert L. Wilkins wrote the government had shown little evidence that transgender troops harm military operations, and that instead, the Trump administration seemed "driven by the bare desire to harm a politically unpopular group."

Bias by Viewpoint Placement: Many outlets on the left primarily shared perspectives of the plaintiffs, their lawyers and other LGBTQ organizational leaders. The Guardian (Left bias) and ABC News (Lean Left) included a quote from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying, "See you at SCOTUS" in response to the ruling. Outlets also emphasized "harm" and "uncertainty" faced by transgender servicemembers following the ban. The New York Times (Lean Left) included the roles that the 4,200 openly transgender servicemembers hold in the military, including pilots, nuclear engineers, doctors, intelligence analysts and more. It also quoted one of prosecuting lawyers saying the ruling "will have an immediate positive impact on the lives of people who just want to serve their country, but have been through a long, dispiriting ordeal."

Split Decision: Outlets on the right more often led with the decision being split. Of the judges' arguments, many right-leaning outlets primarily noted that the Trump administration hadn't shown sufficient evidence that transgender personnel harm national security and also quoted the dissenting judge saying the decision of who serves in the military is up to Congress and the president. Just the News (Lean Right) and Blaze (Right) emphasized that the ban on new transgender enlistees still holds. Just the News wrote the ban was part of the War Department's "attempt[s] to remove 'woke' elements from the military." Outlets across the political spectrum mentioned that the two supporting judges were appointed by former Presidents Obama and Clinton.

For Context: Hegseth signed a memo in May 2025 that gave active-component transgender service members 30 days to voluntarily leave the military or be forced out. Those in the National Guard and Reserve were given 60 days.

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