Story perspectives

Trump Claims Hospitals Perform “Reverse Surgery” on Trans Patients

8/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed hospitals are performing reverse surgery on transgender patients at a beach rally.
Texas Children’s Hospital settled to pay $10 million, end minors’ gender-affirming care, and fund a detransition clinic.
Cleveland Clinic agreed to provide $2 million in detransition services, pay $308,000, and limit minors’ care.
Trump’s Jan 2025 order cut funding for minors’ gender-affirming care.
A CMS rule ends Medicaid payments for such care on Oct 13.

History

Historical Context

The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, signed by President Bill Clinton, legally defined marriage as between a man and a woman, igniting nationwide disputes. Congress approved it with 284 House votes and 85 Senate votes, and the law stayed federal policy until the 2013 United States v. Windsor ruling. Today, Donald Trump’s 2025 order, Texas Children’s Hospital’s $10 million settlement, Cleveland Clinic’s $2 million pledge, and CMS’s Oct 13 Medicaid ban echo that restrictive legacy. The precedent suggests future courts may revisit gender-affirming care protections, potentially reshaping federal health policy and civil-rights litigation for LGBTQ Americans.

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Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed hospitals are performing reverse surgery on transgender patients at a beach rally.
Texas Children’s Hospital settled to pay $10 million, end minors’ gender-affirming care, and fund a detransition clinic.
Cleveland Clinic agreed to provide $2 million in detransition services, pay $308,000, and limit minors’ care.
Trump’s Jan 2025 order cut funding for minors’ gender-affirming care.
A CMS rule ends Medicaid payments for such care on Oct 13.

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