Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Enforce Transgender Military Ban

The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to allow the U.S. military to enforce a ban on transgender service members, seeking to overturn a lower court ruling that has blocked the policy from being fully implemented. The request, filed on Friday, August 28, 2026, asks the justices to reverse a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which prevented the Pentagon from discharging transgender troops already serving. The administration argues that the lower court's ruling is "gravely erroneous" and that the military's authority to determine who may serve is a matter of exceptional importance. The legal battle stems from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January 2025 during his second term, which directed the Defense Department to bar transgender individuals from military service. The order cited concerns about military readiness and unit cohesion. Following the order, then-Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a policy that would disqualify people with gender dysphoria from enlisting and urged active-duty transgender soldiers to voluntarily leave or face discharge.