A federal judge recently took on DOJ lawyers with a ferocity not often seen, demanding that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issue a written retraction regarding a post about transgender troops. This fiery encounter occurred during a hearing concerning President Trump’s executive order on the matter.
In January, President Trump signed key executive orders—”Restoring America’s Fighting Force” and “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness”—aimed at eliminating preferences based on race or sex within the military and addressing gender pronoun usage.
Judge Ana Reyes, known for her activist stance, had previously signaled her intentions to side with transgender soldiers seeking to block Trump’s order. During a heated exchange, she challenged DOJ attorneys, questioning Trump’s assertion of only two genders as “not biologically correct,” as reported by ABC News.
DOJ lawyer Jason Manion pointed out that we don’t know how many people we’re talking about for each side of the argument, and it could be that the treatment for gender dysphoria is much more expensive, it could be just a matter of much fewer people receiving the treatment.
— Jake Gibson (@JakeBGibson)
March 12, 2025
Judge Reyes ordered Hegseth to retract a post stating, “Pentagon says transgender troops are disqualified from service without an exemption,” by Monday.
“Pentagon says transgender troops are disqualified from service without an exemption”
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth)
February 27, 2025
The controversial post linked to a Fox News article about an internal Pentagon memo. According to this memo, transgender service members need an exemption to serve.
Reyes criticized the inconsistency between public statements and court arguments, leading to another confrontation with DOJ lawyer Jason Manion, who attempted to clarify Hegseth’s statement as “shorthand.”
Judge Reyes has previously faced criticism for her conduct towards DOJ attorneys. Last month, the DOJ filed a complaint, accusing her of “egregious misconduct” and violating judicial conduct codes by engaging in hostile behavior towards its counsel. They demanded an investigation into her actions and sought corrective measures.
