A new poll reveals that the Trump administration’s stance on transgender rights, particularly its ongoing ban on transgender people serving in the U.S. military, may be out of touch with the views of most Americans.
Released by Gallup on Monday, the poll highlights growing public support for transgender individuals in the military, even as Trump moves forward with an executive order reinstating a ban on transgender men, women, and nonbinary individuals from serving in any capacity. The results of the poll came as Trump rolled out his latest executive action, reinforcing his previous 2017 directive that was overturned by President Joe Biden in 2021.
The Gallup poll shows that 58 percent of U.S. adults still support allowing transgender individuals to serve in the military, despite a slight decline in overall support since 2019 when it peaked at 71 percent. The findings indicate a significant partisan divide, with Republicans and independents showing much lower levels of support compared to Democrats.
While support for transgender service members has decreased over the past few years, particularly among Republicans, the data still shows that a majority of Americans favor transgender inclusion in the armed forces. The percentage of Republicans who support trans inclusion in the military has dropped significantly, falling from 43 percent in 2019 and 2021 to just 23 percent in 2025. Independents, too, have shown a decline in support, with 62 percent in favor of allowing transgender people to serve, down from 78 percent in 2019 and 66 percent in 2021.
Despite the decrease in support among these groups, the poll shows that Democrats remain overwhelmingly supportive of transgender people serving openly in the military. A solid 84 percent of Democrats expressed support for trans military service, though this is down slightly from 88 percent in 2019 and 87 percent in 2021.
In late January, Trump signed an executive order that reinstates his ban on transgender people serving in the military. The order claims that transgender identity is a mental disorder and describes transgender individuals as unfit for service, labeling them as “dishonorable,” “selfish,” “deceitful,” and “undisciplined.” The policy is expected to affect between 8,000 and 15,000 active-duty transgender service members.
Transgender individuals were first allowed to serve openly in the military under the Obama administration in 2016, which ended the Pentagon’s longstanding ban on out transgender servicemembers. However, Trump reinstated the ban during his first term in 2017, and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld it on procedural grounds. In 2021, President Biden lifted the ban, allowing transgender people to reenter the military and serve openly once again.
Following Trump’s latest executive order, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo earlier this month to senior military leaders, directing them to halt the recruitment of transgender individuals and to suspend gender-affirming medical treatments for current service members diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
The implementation of the ban has been met with significant legal challenges. Two federal lawsuits were filed in late January to stop Trump’s military ban. The first lawsuit, filed by the LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations GLAD Law and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, represents six active-duty service members and two individuals who wish to enlist. Another lawsuit, filed by Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) on February 6, challenges the ban on behalf of six more active-duty service members and one individual who wants to join the military.
The legal battles highlight the ongoing fight for transgender rights, particularly in the military, where advocates argue that transgender individuals should be allowed to serve openly without fear of discrimination. The lawsuits aim to prevent the reinstatement of the ban, which they argue violates the constitutional rights of transgender service members and applicants.
As public opinion shifts, the debate over transgender inclusion in the military is expected to continue to be a key issue in the political landscape. While Trump’s policy and its support among Republicans face challenges from both the public and legal systems, the Gallup poll underscores the growing acceptance of transgender individuals in all areas of public life, including the military.
With the ongoing legal challenges and shifting public sentiment, the future of transgender military service remains uncertain. The continued efforts to protect the rights of transgender service members could shape the military’s policies for years to come, and the push for inclusion remains a critical point of focus for LGBTQ+ advocates and allies.
