Overview

• The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on the Trump administration's appeal to lift injunctions blocking its transgender military ban but issued no immediate ruling.
• The three-judge panel, consisting of two Trump appointees and one Obama appointee, signaled potential support for limiting the injunction to the 32 named plaintiffs rather than a nationwide block.
• Justice Department attorney Jason Manion announced plans to seek Supreme Court review of the policy "very soon," following similar legal challenges in other circuits.
• Judge Cornelia Pillard questioned the administration's lack of evidence showing harm caused by four years of open transgender service, contrasting it with claims of military readiness concerns.
• Advocates for transgender service members argue the policy is discriminatory and rooted in animus, with significant professional and constitutional harm at stake for affected troops.