High Court Intervenes in Federal Prison Policy
The Supreme Court has refused to allow the Trump administration to immediately enforce new medical restrictions for transgender people in prison, according to reports. The decision comes after an executive order by President Donald Trump called on the Bureau of Prisons to revise its medical care policies.
Under the proposed policy, federal funds would not be spent "for the purpose of conforming an inmate’s appearance to that of the opposite sex," as stated in the executive order. The new rules, which were blocked earlier by a lower court, would have halted surgeries, tapered off hormones, and ended social accommodations such as makeup and wigs for transgender inmates.
The Supreme Court's action effectively maintains the status quo regarding medical care for transgender prisoners while legal challenges to the administration's directive continue. The Bureau of Prisons had been directed to implement these changes under the executive order, but the high court's refusal to allow immediate enforcement stops those measures from taking effect right now.
Rally Remarks and Political Distractions
While the legal battle over prison healthcare policies unfolded in Washington, President Trump was in South Carolina to boost U.S. Sen. Darline Graham. Her campaign has faced challenges since replacing her late brother, with Democratic voters hoping their candidate can break Republicans’ grip on the state.
Trump wrapped up remarks in South Carolina after about an hour and a half, running through regular rally points including showing a video of a CNN reporter describing polls showing his high support among Republicans. He also brought athlete Holyfield on stage during the event.
During the rally, Trump lamented not winning the Pulitzer Prize, recounting how he didn’t win the Nobel Peace Prize despite his efforts to try to end wars. He referred to it as the “Pulitzer” and then added: “I didn’t get the Nobel Prize,” he said. “I should have gotten the Pulitzer for writing too.” It is not clear what work of his writing Trump felt deserved the honor.
Renaming Waters and Protester Encounters
Trump mused on changing the names of bodies of water, recounting how he signed orders to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America and the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. He told the crowd how he had been looking for a river to rename, including possibly the Hudson River or the Mississippi, but said he was focused more on renaming either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean.
Trump said, “I’m not going to put either Trump or America on any other ocean,” during the discussion. The event was interrupted by about 10 protesters in the first half hour of his remarks in South Carolina, with one of the last having a bit of a melee on the floor.
Trump said “Wow” and, “I loved that. I watched that” as the protester was removed by security. The incident highlighted the charged atmosphere surrounding the former president's appearances as he continues to navigate both legal challenges and political campaigns across multiple states.