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The White House released a fact sheet Monday confirming it will declare gender-affirming care “not supported” by evidence in a new, pseudoscientific report — contradicting numerous peer-reviewed studies demonstrating positive outcomes. The document reveals the administration will meet the 90-day deadline set by Trump’s first executive order, with language suggesting the forthcoming report will abandon scientific objectivity. More ominously, the fact sheet discloses that investigations into providers and hormone replacement therapy manufacturers have already begun, potentially threatening medication access for transgender Americans within months. The moves signal what appears to be the administration’s latest salvo against transgender rights.
“Section 3(ii) directs HHS to publish an evidence-based review of the literature on best-practices to promote the health of children who assert gender dysphoria. HHS has coordinated with a team of eight distinguished scholars, and will publish this review by the 90-day deadline,” reads the fact sheet.
Previous reporting by Erin In The Morning confirmed that this report was expected. The review is expected to follow the same playbook as Governor DeSantis’ Florida Board of Medicine review and the Cass Review in England—both of which excluded gender-affirming care experts and were engineered to justify crackdowns on care. Though it is unknown who these “eight scholars” will be, the Cass Review utilized people who do not treat transgender patients or who push conversion therapy-like practices to treat them in the construction of their conclusions, as did the Florida Review. In the case of the Florida Review, the conclusion was already formed before the review even began, with a powerpoint file uncovered in court documents that shows the end goal of the review was “care effectively banned.”
The forthcoming HHS report could dramatically alter the legal landscape surrounding transgender healthcare. Publishing such findings on official government websites may grant legitimacy to previously discredited voices. Far-right commentators repeatedly rejected as experts in court cases could potentially leverage their inclusion in federally published documents to bolster their credibility in future litigation.
Traditionally, scientific agencies like the FDA and HHS have maintained independence from political pressure, especially in medical findings, but the Trump administration has systematically eroded these boundaries. Should the administration embrace methodologically false research to establish new transgender care standards, it would introduce yet another variable into the already complex patchwork of state regulations and ongoing judicial battles.
The fact sheet also claims that the administration has already launched investigations, stating, “It has also initiated investigations of multiple entities that have misled the public about the long-term side effects of chemical and surgical mutilation under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.” According to previously released information from the Department of Justice, these investigations are intended to target large providers and hormone therapy manufacturers. Now, in announcing that these investigations have already begun, transgender adults should prepare for disruptions to care.
This would not be the first instance of officials weaponizing consumer protection laws against transgender healthcare providers. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey previously targeted Planned Parenthood with similar investigations, while Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched multiple probes into providers and pharmaceutical companies within his jurisdiction. However, these state-level efforts, while disruptive, remained constrained by geographical boundaries and limited resources. Federal investigations carry substantially greater weight and broader reach, potentially creating nationwide disruptions to care access that individual state actions cannot achieve.
Though the White House fact sheet commits to meeting the 90-day deadline — which would mean releasing the report today, April 28 — actual timing remains uncertain. What is unmistakable, however, is the administration’s preparation for a fresh offensive against transgender Americans, with this forthcoming document serving as its intellectual foundation. Healthcare providers and academic experts should brace themselves to counter government-sanctioned misinformation the moment it emerges.
This piece was republished with permission from Erin In The Morning.
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