federal judge is blocking President Trump's attempt to ban transgender troops from serving in the military saying the policy is discriminatory and quote, soaked in animus.

The move comes after current and would-be service trans Transer vis members rather filed suit over the Trump administration's executive order, calling it, quote, character assassination based on nothing.

But administration officials want the judge to lift her injunction, arguing the ban has a grounding in medicine, not discrimination.

Joining us now with more on this is Jennifer Pritzker, retired lieutenant colonel of the United States Army, as well as a businesswoman and philanthropist in the interest of full disclosure.

She is a supporter of both Wt Tw and our sister station WFM T Colonel Pritzker.

Welcome back to Chicago tonight.

Well, thank you very much for having me.

the Pentagon on Friday released new guidance on transgender military personnel saying, quote, the Department of Defense will review service member's medical records and within 45 days, give them self assessment.

Questionnaires to determine whether they have a current history diagnosis, history or symptoms of gender dysphoria.

Doj is arguing in court as we mentioned, this means the ban is somehow based on a medical diagnosis, not anti trans agenda.

What's your reaction to Well, for starters.

What what?

What questions today proposed to put on the on the questionnaire.

What what are they looking for?

What is the criteria for either retention?

Discharge?

And I think it's only fair.

That that be disclosed to the people who are taking the questionnaire and I don't know why the why don't they just give that everybody right?

I know when when I was in when I was in the Army duty we still have health and welfare inspections on both sides that means they go through the barracks looking for contraband and everybody in the are in the armed forces, its drug tested, everybody.

The newest recruit, the most senior general or Admiral.

So I think they need to take a war, even-handed approach.

On this issue.

>> Well, backing up a little bit, what what kind of an impact do you think a ban on trans people serving could have on the armed forces?

Well, it's going to be tremendous disruption.

It's going to affect morale, discipline unit, cohesion.

Combat readiness.

And enormous leaks.

Pensive 4.

Either.

No no return on investment.

40 minutes.

For example.

Prostate processing a civilian in the any branch of the armed forces in the first year, easily runs $100,000.

Let's you know, create privates.

Not sure.

No, because it's 6 months.

Minimum 4 to 6 months, minimum of entry level training.

And then when they show up for the unit, it takes another 3 to 6 months for them.

The becoming net positive asset to the I think we like that trying to do some rough calculation or something like 5,000 to 15,000 transgender troops.

And multiple do the math on that.

You come up with a number like 500 Million.

Just in the what was invested in year one, no huge strap a leak.

That's to cost us a full colonel in the Space Force.

Who's aerospace engineer.

You spent millions on this person.

And what is it about being transgender provided they meet the standards for performance and qualification.

What's the basis?

So, for example?

You getting through parachute school, we qualified military parachutist.

You gotta pull ups lots lots of push-ups.

Because to control the parachute you have to pull on risers.

Those are straps that attach the main canopy and that's what controls you.

And that can make the difference between when you crash and burn on the drop zone and get carried away an ambulance or you land safely and walk away.

If you want people to parachute out of airplanes.

One of the criteria is how many push-ups can they Pull UPS?

Can they do?

a lot of other qualifications?

That's the same all specialties in the military.

Well, and, you know, you mentioned the for the expense that goes into into training and all that, you know, kind of being.

>> Left on the table.

There's also, you know, the argument from backers of the ban who say medical treatments for trans folks in the military are cost prohibitive.

Do you think the numbers back that up?

No, they do not.

>> First of all, you're dealing with a relatively small group of people.

Also a high percentage.

I think it's something like 50% do not require.

any medical care or very slight medical care.

So, you somebody wants to see a psychologist, psychiatrist.

2 discover where they are terms of.

Gender dysphoria.

That really doesn't cost very much.

Brent.

And if anything.

The treatment, if properly applied.

We'll save money in the long run.

Norton is Asian is any better than people in it.

And if you invest productively and their welfare.

You will have a better organization.

But the numbers.

I just just not there.

There was some polling from from Gallup that showed.

>> In 2019, 71% of us adults favored openly trans men and women serving in the military went down to 66% in 2021.

58 1% this year.

Why do you think that support might be declining?

The current administration?

Has made a massive, really obsessive effort.

2.

The achievements of transgender people to philonise them to spread a lot of dis-information.

And most people don't have the time.

Where the energy is are busy making a living.

To sort out.

Well, what's this information?

What is information?

And because there's so few transgender people.

Many people never encountered such a person.

One interesting numbers.

estimated 234,000.

Transgender veterans.

And it turns out that transgender people are.

Twice as likely to serve in the armed forces.

Then people who are not transgender.

So it's it's it's it's just amazing.

Now the book bans many other actions taken all levels of government.

2 really marginalize.

a transgender person.

We've got about 30 seconds left open.

You know, I know recent years that military sometimes struggle to meet its recruitment goals.

Do you think something like this could make it harder for them to record?

Definitely.

Definitely.

I think it will make recruiting recruiting always been a challenge.

Recruiting and retention.

See, that's the other part of volunteer force that people often overlook.

Once you sign somebody up once you've got their enlistment out of them in order to get the full return on investment.

You to re Well, that's what's really going to affect in this very ban.

It's something that is going to be detrimental.

To the welfare.

And functioning forces.

And it's it's it's I think it's terrible.

What's being done to our fellow citizens who have taken the time and the trouble and willingness to sacrifice