Senate Democrats press Hegseth for answers on Trump order to ban transgender troops

More than a dozen Senate Democrats have signed onto a letter demanding a status update from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over the military’s treatment of transgender servicemembers.

The letter, drafted by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and first obtained by NPR, calls for Hegseth to explain to lawmakers how the Pentagon is complying with two separate federal court rulings blocking President Trump’s executive order attempting to ban transgender troops from military service.

Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran and Purple Heart recipient, uses the letter to denounce the executive order, writing that any effort to deny military service “based on ideological grounds is inherently un-American and jeopardizes our national security.”

“This administration’s animus towards transgender heroes,” she writes, “prioritizes a manufactured culture war over military excellence and readiness and is a purge of brave servicemembers who protect our freedoms.”

The letter is the first targeted effort by Democratic senators to press Hegseth on the administration’s policy toward transgender servicemembers. In it, Duckworth requests a response by Friday, but it is unclear whether the defense secretary will provide additional information.

In a series of questions addressed to Hegseth, Duckworth inquires as to whether any transgender servicemembers had been prematurely dismissed due to the executive order and what steps the Department of Defense has taken to bring them back. She also asks what actions the agency has taken to ensure transgender servicemembers “can continue to serve without facing stigma or backlash resulting from the Trump administration’s targeted attacks against them.”

In addition to the president’s attempted ban on transgender people serving in the military, Trump has signed an executive order meant to restrict transgender athletes from playing in women’s sports. He’s also taken steps to end gender-affirming medical care for children and teenagers.

Duckworth’s letter comes as the Trump administration is facing heightened scrutiny over its compliance with the courts more broadly. Ongoing clashes between the White House and the federal courts over the president’s deportation agenda have sparked fears among legal experts about the potential for a constitutional crisis.

The administration has appealed both preliminary injunctions on Trump’s order seeking to ban transgender servicemembers. Last week, a Ninth Circuit panel denied a request by the administration for a stay in one of the cases, Shilling v. Trump, which was filed on behalf of seven transgender troops actively serving as well as an individual hoping to enlist.

The other case, Talbott v. Trump, was brought on behalf of six transgender servicemembers and two prospective servicemembers.

There are roughly 1.3 million active duty service members in the U.S., however an estimated 4,240 active duty service members have gender dysphoria, the Department of Defense has previously told NPR. Though this estimate places transgender troops at less than 1% of current forces, previous research puts the number higher. In 2018, a report by the Palm Center, which studies LGBTQ+ inclusion in the military, found that there were 14,700 transgender troops and 8,980 were active duty servicemembers.

In her letter, Duckworth noted that the army has struggled in recent years to retain servicemembers, highlighting that one quarter of recruited soldiers since 2022 have been unable to complete their initial military contracts, according to a recent analysis of Army data from Military.com.

“Our Nation cannot afford to expel several thousand troops serving honorably on a baseless, hateful whim,” she said.