When Donald Trump declared that his presidency would usher in the “Golden Age of America,” and begin a “thrilling new era of national success,” it wasn’t hyperbole. In less than three weeks, he has already undone years of leftist damage. Through dozens of Executive Orders, he has: halted federal funding of abortion, dismantled the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agenda in the federal government, established that the federal government will recognize only two genders (male and female), supported parental rights and school choice, and ended radical indoctrination in public schools. On top of that, Trump issued an Executive Order on January 29 to protect children from transgender “treatments.”

“Countless children soon regret that they have been mutilated and begin to grasp the horrifying tragedy that they will never be able to conceive children of their own or nurture their children through breastfeeding,” the Order reads. “Moreover, these vulnerable youths’ medical bills may rise throughout their lifetimes, as they are often trapped with lifelong medical complications, a losing war with their own bodies, and, tragically, sterilization.”

The Order directs federal agencies to ensure that all institutions receiving federal research or education grants cease practices related to gender transition procedures for any individuals under 19 years of age.

“Accordingly, it is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures,” the Order declared.

In order to accomplish that, the Executive Order implemented several mandates for federal agencies, such as:

• Rescinding the use of guidance from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), which “lacks scientific integrity.” (We covered WPATH’s reputation as an organization based on politically motivated pseudoscience last October – read more here.)
• Requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish resources and best practices for responding to children who exhibit symptoms of gender dysphoria and other gender-related mental health concerns.
• Excluding chemical and surgical mutilation of children from TRICARE coverage.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles already announced it has paused the initiation of hormone therapy for “gender-affirming care patients” under the age of 19. This hospital is one of the most notorious in the nation for performing sex change operations on minors. The Do No Harm database documents the hundreds of patients who have received hormone therapy, puberty blockers, or surgical procedures at their facility. It is an incredible victory that Trump was able to protect countless children from medical mutilation in a state that is unlikely to outlaw “gender-affirming care” any time soon. 

South Dakota was one of the first states to ever attempt a prohibition on transgender procedures, but it wasn’t until 2023 that the legislature successfully passed a “Help Not Harm” bill, which was signed into law by Governor Kristi Noem. Today, 26 states have laws on the books that ban or restrict “gender-affirming care” for minors. Trump’s Executive Order not only bolsters those laws, but ensures that children are protected in states that continue to allow this tragic form of abuse to occur.