Two Trump-appointed appeals court judges upheld a policy directed by former Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to ban transgender service members from the U.S. military. The ruling dissolved a lower court order that had blocked the ban, with the judges arguing the policy “furthers legitimate military interests.” A dissenting Obama-appointed judge strongly criticized the decision, labeling the policy “openly hostile” and based solely on “blatant animus.”
Date: December 9, 2025. Source: independent.co