(VitalNews.org) – Conservatives have been left angered after a Biden-appointed judge undercut President Donald Trump’s authority over the military.
Specifically, an activist judge temporarily blocked the president’s order to ban transgender individuals from service.
U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes issued an injunction against President Trump’s executive order, claiming the ban violated constitutional protections.
The ruling represents yet another instance of judicial activism attempting to override the Commander-in-Chief’s powers.
Judge Reyes, who was appointed by Joe Biden, found that the executive order likely violated the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition on sex discrimination.
Her ruling halts a policy that would have stopped transgender individuals from enlisting and would have required the military to identify and potentially discharge existing service members with gender dysphoria.
Tenwty current and prospective service members brought the lawsuit challenging the president’s order.
They objected to the administration’s stance that gender identity issues may conflict with military readiness and unit cohesion.
Government lawyers had argued that the military has always been able to bar individuals with conditions deemed unsuitable for service, a position that courts have historically respected.
In her ruling, Reyes described the ban as “soaked in animus” and claimed it was demeaning to transgender persons.
She even went so far as to lecture the Commander-in-Chief about military values, writing that “transgender persons can have the warrior ethos, physical and mental health, selflessness, honor, integrity, and discipline to ensure military excellence.”
“The cruel irony is that thousands of transgender service members have sacrificed — some risking their lives — to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the military ban seeks to deny them,” she added.
The White House and Pentagon have not yet commented on the ruling, which represents a direct challenge to President Trump’s constitutional authority as Commander-in-Chief to determine military fitness standards.
The president’s order had argued that a gender identity inconsistent with one’s biological sex conflicts with military values and could undermine the effectiveness of America’s fighting forces.
The judge’s decision revealed clear political bias when she pressed government attorneys for evidence justifying the ban.
She did so despite decades of military policy that excluded individuals with various medical and psychological conditions without judicial interference.
Reyes even delayed the injunction’s effect to allow time for an appeal, suggesting the administration should craft a different policy that meets her approval.
Jennifer Levi, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs from LGBTQ advocacy groups, celebrated the ruling against the policy.
“This ruling pulls no punches. The court methodically documented the concrete harms this ban inflicts on brave transgender service members who ask nothing more than to serve their country with honor,” Levi said.
This case highlights the ongoing battle between President Trump’s efforts to restore military standards and left-wing activists using the courts to advance their social agenda.
The military has approximately 1.3 million active-duty personnel, with advocacy groups claiming that transgender service members number anywhere from a few thousand to 15,000.
The Biden-appointed judge’s ruling requires the military to continue using preferred pronouns and accommodating gender transitions rather than focusing on combat readiness.
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