Attorneys general from 18 states and D.C. have written to a congressional committee to oppose President Trump’s proposed ban on transgender individuals in the Armed Forces.
The letter, sent to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, urges Congress to protect transgender service members through explicit language added to the National Defense Authorization Act, which is currently being debated.
The proposed language would prohibit discrimination against transgender individuals who are currently serving and reaffirms that they cannot be banned because of their gender identity.
“The policy announced by President Trump’s tweet undermines the national security goal of giving every able American who wants to serve in the military the opportunity to serve, creates untold bureaucratic and legal cost and complexities in implementation, and would put in place a policy that violates fundamental constitutional and American values,” they write.
“[W]hat is clear is that the President’s stated new ban reopens a closed issue, is contrary to advice provided by our military leadership, and is based on factual misstatements and discredited claims.”
In his tweet, Trump cited the “tremendous medical costs” associated with allowing transgender individuals to serve openly.
However, estimates from studies by the New England Journal of Medicine and the RAND Corporation have found that the cost of transition-related care for the estimated 15,000 transgender service members in the Armed Forces would be negligible, particularly in light of the military’s multi-billion dollar budget.
The attorneys general also point to a Department of Defense study that found that transgender service members do not harm unit cohesion or negatively impact military readiness, another claim made by President Trump and opponents of LGBTQ people serving openly in the military.
“The members of our Armed Forces put their lives on the line to protect freedom for all Americans. Thousands of transgender Americans serve in uniform today. This policy tells them, ‘You are not welcome here,'” the letter concludes. “The decision to oust honorable, well-trained, and patriotic service members based on nothing more than their gender identity is undiluted discrimination and therefore indefensible. We urge that this newly announced policy be immediately reversed.”
The letter was signed by attorneys general from Hawaii, New York, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington State, and Washington, D.C.
D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine issued his own statement touting his decision to sign onto the letter.
“Transgender men and women from the District, as well as thousands of others, have served bravely in our armed forces. They deserve honor and respect from the Commander-in-Chief,” Racine said. “When the President of the United States says dismissive and demeaning things about a vulnerable minority group, it has real — and negative — consequences for that group, and particularly for children who may be struggling with their gender identity.
“I’m proud that the District is one of the nation’s most welcoming jurisdictions for transgender people of all walks of life, and I pledge to continue working hard to ensure they get the protection and the respect they deserve.”
A transgender woman has filed a lawsuit against hotel giant Hilton, alleging that she was assaulted by a security guard at the Hilton Dallas Lincoln Centre while she was a registered guest.
According to the complaint, filed in the 192nd Civil District Court in Dallas County, Kimberly Barnett, an Afro-Latina transgender woman from Nebraska, was staying at the hotel in late June while attending Dallas Pride Weekend and other LGBTQ events.
Barnett returned to the Hilton Dallas Lincoln Centre around 3:45 a.m. on June 24 and attempted to "valet her vehicle," according to the lawsuit.
A New York City subway rider was slashed in the face earlier this month by an unidentified assailant who took offense to him kissing his transgender partner. The attack occurred around 7:50 p.m. on January 10 aboard a southbound No. 6 train as it traveled through Manhattan.
According to police, the 28-year-old victim was kissing his partner when the suspect began shouting anti-gay slurs. The verbal abuse quickly escalated into a physical confrontation. During the argument, the suspect struck the victim with a sharp object, causing a deep laceration on the right side of his face, according to New York CW affiliate WPIX.
Speaking at a House GOP retreat, President Donald Trump warned that Democrats would seek to impeach him if they regain control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.
"f we don't win the midterms, it's just going to be -- I mean, they'll find a reason to impeach me," Trump said. "I'll get impeached."
Trump was first impeached in 2019, after Democrats regained control of the House during his first term, over allegations that he withheld congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine to pressure its government into announcing investigations into his political rival, former President Joe Biden.
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