Hegseth Mocks the Socks Off Federal Judge Blocking Trump’s Military Trans Ban

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Department of Defense from enforcing President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military.

The preliminary injunction was issued last week by U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C.

The ruling halts enforcement of the president’s January 27 executive order, which directed the Pentagon to revise its medical and personnel policies regarding transgender service.

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President Trump’s order stated, “Expressing a false ‘gender identity’ divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.”

The directive called on the Department of Defense to update its medical fitness requirements, pronoun usage, and overall policies related to gender identity in military service.

The order further explained that “beyond the hormonal and surgical medical interventions involved, adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life.”

In her decision, Judge Reyes criticized the language in the executive order, calling it “unabashedly demeaning” and asserting that the policy “stigmatizes transgender persons as inherently unfit.”

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Following the ruling, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded on the social media platform X.

He suggested that, given the judge’s interference in military policy, she should take on a more active role in military operations.

“Since ‘Judge’ Reyes is now a top military planner, she/they can report to Fort Benning at 0600 to instruct our Army Rangers on how to execute High Value Target Raids…after that, Commander Reyes can dispatch to Fort Bragg to train our Green Berets on counterinsurgency warfare,” Hegseth wrote.

Since “Judge” Reyes is now a top military planner, she/they can report to Fort Benning at 0600 to instruct our Army Rangers on how to execute High Value Target Raids…after that, Commander Reyes can dispatch to Fort Bragg to train our Green Berets on counterinsurgency warfare. https://t.co/CNrl252Irs

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) March 22, 2025

Judge Reyes delayed the implementation of her injunction until Friday morning, giving the Trump administration time to appeal the decision.

Officials with the administration confirmed their intent to challenge the ruling.

In her written opinion, Reyes argued that the president’s order likely violates constitutional protections.

“The court knows that this opinion will lead to heated public debate and appeals. In a healthy democracy, both are positive outcomes,” she stated.

“We should all agree, however, that every person who has answered the call to serve deserves our gratitude and respect.”

She also wrote, “Indeed, the cruel irony is that thousands of transgender servicemembers have sacrificed – some risking their lives – to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the Military Ban seeks to deny them.”

Reyes concluded that the administration had not demonstrated it would be harmed by maintaining the current policy during litigation.

“The defendants… have not shown they will be burdened by continuing the status quo pending this litigation, and avoiding constitutional violations is always in the public interest,” she added.

The legal battle over the transgender military ban now heads to the appeals court, while the Department of Defense awaits further instruction pending the outcome.

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