New jersey joins blue state lawsuit opposing trump’s transgender military ban

TRENTON, N.J. – New Jersey is suing President Trump again. This time, over an executive order to prevent mentally ill individuals from serving in the U.S. military.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning transgender (biological men who identify as women and biological women who identify as men) individuals from serving in the U.S. military. Trump cited mental illness and force readiness concerns in his executive order, but New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Attorney General Platkin want to keep transgenders in the military.

New Jersey has joined 19 other state attorneys general in filing an amicus brief challenging former President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender individuals from serving in the military.

The brief, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, supports a lawsuit by current and prospective transgender service members seeking to block the order. A hearing is scheduled for February 18.

“Trump’s ban on transgender service members isn’t just discriminatory, it violates our Constitution and makes our country and our state less safe,” Platkin said.

The coalition argues that the order violates the Fifth Amendment, weakens military readiness, harms state emergency preparedness, and discriminates against transgender individuals. Studies estimate that about 150,000 veterans and active-duty personnel identify as transgender, with transgender individuals being twice as likely to serve in the military as cisgender individuals.

The military previously reviewed and twice concluded that allowing transgender personnel to serve benefits national security. The brief asserts that reinstating the ban cannot be justified by concerns over cost, unit cohesion, or readiness.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.