Minnesota sues Trump administration over transgender executive orders
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) sued President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday after the administration threatened the state's federal funding over its refusal to implement an executive order banning transgender athletes from girls and women's sports.
Bondi had warned the state to comply with Trump's Feb. 4 order in a letter that month and said last week while announcing a civil lawsuit against Maine over its noncompliance that California and Minnesota are the 'top two' states that should also 'be on notice.'
The White House has argued Title IX, the federal civil rights law against sex discrimination, prevents transgender students from competing in girls sports, the opposite of the position held by the Biden administration.
'I'm not going to sit around waiting for the Trump administration to sue Minnesota,' Ellison said Tuesday at a press conference at the state Capitol in St. Paul. 'Today, Minnesota is suing him and his administration because we will not participate in this shameful bullying.'
Ellison's lawsuit, filed in Minnesota district court, also challenges one of Trump's Day 1 executive orders proclaiming the U.S. recognizes only two sexes, male and female, and broadly preventing government funds from being spent on what his administration calls 'gender ideology.'
The orders, Ellison said Tuesday, violate the U.S. Constitution and Title IX, which he said includes gender identity protections.
'The administration is wrong about the law,' he said.
The White House and the Department of Justice did not immediately return requests for comment.
In February, Ellison wrote in an opinion that implementing Trump's order on transgender athletes would violate the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.
The president's order 'does not have the force of law and therefore does not preempt any aspect of Minnesota law,' Ellison wrote in the opinion, which is legally binding. Educational institutions and the Minnesota State High School League, the organization governing interscholastic activities in the state, would violate the state's anti-discrimination law 'by prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in extracurricular activities according to their gender identity,' he wrote.
Ellison in Tuesday's lawsuit argued that letters sent in February and April by Bondi and Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon ordering Minnesota to ban trans athletes from girls sports violate the Administrative Procedure Act because they are 'arbitrary and capricious' and conflict with Title IX.
'They want to make all of us pay because we welcome all children and want them to be their whole selves,' Ellison said during Tuesday's news conference. 'These are bullying, tactics, plain and simple. I've been around my share of bullies in my life, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that you can't give them an inch.'
Ellison is involved in several other lawsuits challenging Trump's executive orders, including one filed jointly with attorneys general from Colorado, Washington state and Oregon in February against an order to cut federal support for gender-affirming care for trans youth. That order is temporarily blocked under orders from two federal judges.
Speaking at Tuesday's press conference, Minnesota state Rep. Leigh Finke (D), the state's first openly transgender lawmaker, said the orders are part of the administration's broader campaign to roll back the rights of trans people and deny that they exist.
'Here, we do not bend to cruelty,' Finke said. 'We do not bow to bullying or bigotry. We lead with love and follow the law. We will continue to build a state that honors and affirms the lives of all. We will continue to build a state that honors and affirms the lives of all. We have chosen love, we have chosen justice, and we continue to choose freedom, now and always.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
26 minutes ago
- Washington Post
NASA, Pentagon push for SpaceX alternatives amid Trump's feud with Musk
Federal officials at NASA and the Pentagon moved swiftly this week to urge competitors to Elon Musk's SpaceX to more quickly develop alternative rockets and spacecraft after President Donald Trump threatened to cancel Space X's contracts and Musk's defiant response. Government officials were especially stunned after Musk responded to Trump with a salvo of his own: SpaceX would stop flying its Dragon spacecraft, a move that would leave the space agency with no way to transport its astronauts to the International Space Station.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Democrat-controlled budget office wrongly analyzed Trump's big bill, missed record savings, White House says
The White House is challenging the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office's assessment that President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending package will raise the federal deficit by trillions of dollars throughout the next decade. The national debt, currently $36.2 trillion, tracks what the U.S. owes its creditors, while the national deficit measures how much the federal government's spending exceeds its revenues. So far, the federal government has spent more than $1 trillion more than it has collected this fiscal year, according to the Department of the Treasury. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued an analysis Wednesday predicting that the so-called "big, beautiful, bill" the House passed in May would increase the federal deficit by $2.4 trillion over the next 10 years. But according to the White House, the CBO's analysis is based on a faulty premise because it assumes that Republicans in Congress will fail to extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts. Rather, the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) forecasts that the tax and spending measures would independently reduce deficits by $1.4 trillion. Senate Weighs Trump's 'Big, Beautiful, Bill' As Policy Group Backs Cbo, Projects $3 Trillion Debt Increase Read On The Fox News App Additionally, the White House argues that the measure, coupled with other initiatives like tariffs and other spending cuts, will lead to reducing the deficit by at least $6.6 trillion over 10 years. The "big, beautiful, bill" has faced criticism from figures including SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who labeled the measure an "abomination" and argued that the bill would increase the federal deficit. The measure now heads to the Senate, where lawmakers, including Sen. Rand Paul, R-K.Y., have voiced opposition to the legislation. Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Faces Resistance From Republican Senators Over Debt Fears Meanwhile, OMB Director Russell Vought told lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday that he believed the CBO's analysis was "fundamentally wrong." "It will lead to reduced deficits and debt of $1.4 trillion," Vought said. "It will reduce mandatory savings of $1.7 trillion. I don't think the way they construct their baseline, not only does it not give a fair shake to economic growth, but it fundamentally misreads the economic consequences of not extending the current tax relief." Failure to pass Trump's tax package would trigger a recession, according to Vought. "We'll have a recession," Vought told lawmakers. "The economic storm clouds will be very dark. I think we'll have a 60% tax increase on the American people." Meanwhile, the White House has accused the CBO of employing those who've contributed to Democratic campaigns, even though CBO Director Phillip Swagel served in former President George W. Bush's administration. Price Tag Estimate For House Gop Tax Package Rises To $3.94T "I don't think many people know this: There hasn't been a single staffer in the entire Congressional Budget Office that has contributed to a Republican since the year 2000," Leavitt told reporters Tuesday. "But guess what, there have been many staffers within the Congressional Budget Office who have contributed to Democratic candidates and politicians every single cycle since. So unfortunately, this is an institution in our country that has become partisan and political." The CBO director is appointed according to the recommendations of the House and Senate Budget Committees. Then-Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyoming, first recommended Swagel in 2019, and then Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, recommended Swagel again in 2023. The CBO did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital on OMB's analysis or claims from the White House about the office being full of staffers who've backed Democrats. Fox News' Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report. Original article source: Democrat-controlled budget office wrongly analyzed Trump's big bill, missed record savings, White House says
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hours before WorldPride, US Park Police, NPS reopen key Pride gathering spot
Hours before the Capital Pride Parade during WorldPride in Washington, D.C., fencing at a key gathering spot for Pride celebrations is being taken down, two sources told ABC News. The decision comes following public outcry and a reversal by the U.S. Park Police and the National Park Service, which had made the decision to close off Dupont Circle Park ahead of Saturday's parade, which marks the 50th anniversary of Capital Pride. Two sources confirmed to ABC News that the park, long the site of unofficial Pride parties and gatherings in the city, is being reopened ahead of the event. The fencing was initially requested by the Metropolitan Police Department in April due to safety concerns following past incidents during Pride events, though there are no known credible threats to the nation's capital as tens of thousands gather to celebrate, officials told ABC News. After a debate between federal officials, city police and LGBTQ+ activists, the U.S. Park Police announced the park would close from 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 5, through approximately 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 8. MORE: Trump's military parade includes a dog and pony show. And the dog is named Doc Holliday While D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith later rescinded the request to close the park, the National Park Service continued with the plan, prompting backlash from local politicians and activists. "D.C. is no stranger to high-profile gatherings," said Smith, the first African American woman to lead the U.S. Park Police in its 200-year-plus history, after attempting to get the closure rescinded after public backlash. "We have a proven track record of hosting them safely and successfully, and this year will be no different." Mayor Muriel Bowser then called for the decision to be reversed, and the reversal was granted. Preparations for the international celebration have been years in the making, and at least one party promoter had already advertised an event in the park before the closing was announced. Federal officials had said that closing the park was part of a broader federal security plan amid what they said were concerns about crowd control and potential disruptions. In recent years, the space has seen several incidents that that officials say prompted concern from law enforcement. According to authorities, in 2019, a person was arrested after gunshots caused crowds to flee. In 2023, the park was vandalized, resulting in $175,000 in damage to the historic fountain. In 2024, a group of minors was found drinking, smoking marijuana and fighting in the park. They later ran into nearby businesses and reportedly stole items. In a letter obtained by ABC News, the U.S. Park Police initially wrote that the closure was necessary to "secure the park, deter potential violence, reduce the risk of destructive acts and decrease the need for extensive law enforcement presences." MORE: 'We see you': In Trump-era Washington, World Pride 2025 organizers aim to bring 'hope' to LGBTQ+ community MPD will have an increased presence throughout D.C. during WorldPride and Capital Pride. It will coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions and activate special units to assist with crowd management and traffic. Police will also increase patrols in high-crime areas starting this weekend through the end of August. "MPD, alongside all of our district agencies and public safety partners, have been working for many months to plan for these large-scale events that are happening this summer, and our joint planning efforts have included site visits, tabletop exercise, intelligence coordination and layered security strategies tailored uniquely to these events to ensure that we can keep our city safe for World Pride 2025," Smith said. "We have been planning for over a year." Days after WorldPride, the nation's capital will host a June 14 military parade marking the 250th anniversary of the Army, though officials said there aren't any known credible threats for that event either. That Army parade will be the sixth National Special Security Event that Washington has hosted this year. "There's no place more experienced than the District of Columbia in executing these large-scale events," Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Lindsey Appiah said last week.
