Judge Questions Motives For Trump's Order Banning Transgender Troops

A federal judge on Tuesday questioned President Donald Trump's motives for issuing an executive order that calls for banning transgender troops from serving in the U.S. military, describing a portion of the directive as "frankly ridiculous."

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes indicated that she won't rule before early March on whether to temporarily block the Trump administration from enforcing the order, which plaintiffs' attorneys have said illegally discriminates against transgender troops.

But her questions and remarks during Tuesday's hearing suggest that she is deeply skeptical of the administration's reasoning for ordering a policy change. Reyes also lauded the service of several active-duty troops who sued to block the order.

"If you were in a foxhole, would you care about these individuals' gender identity?" the judge asked a government attorney, who answered that it "would not be a primary concern of mine."

Trump's Jan. 27 order claims the sexual identity of transgender service members "conflicts with a soldier's commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one's personal life" and is harmful to military readiness. It requires Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to issue a revised policy.