Washington, D.C.: U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has joined the growing criticism of federal judges by Donald Trump and his administration, mocking a judge who blocked a ban on transgender troops in the military.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ruled that Trump’s executive order barring transgender individuals from military service likely violated the constitutional guarantee of equal protection. Hegseth responded on social media by sarcastically referring to the judge as “Commander Reyes” and suggesting she had overstepped her authority.
Hegseth stated that, “Since ‘Judge’ Reyes is now a top military planner, they can report to Fort Benning at 0600 to instruct our Army Rangers on how to execute High Value Target Raids.”
His remarks come with rising tensions between the Trump administration and the federal judiciary. Trump and his allies, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and billionaire adviser Elon Musk, have criticised judges over rulings that have blocked several of the administration’s policies.
The military announced that it would no longer allow transgender individuals to enlist and would stop facilitating gender transition procedures for service members. Plaintiffs challenging the ban cited a 2020 Supreme Court ruling that found employment discrimination against transgender individuals to be illegal sex discrimination.
Administration lawyers have argued that the military has the right to exclude individuals with certain conditions, such as bipolar disorder or eating disorders, and that transgender individuals are not fit for service.
Reyes’ ruling is the latest legal setback for the administration as federal courts hear more than 100 lawsuits challenging Trump’s policies.
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