DeSantis Worries Harris Administration Would Punish States Banning Trans Surgeries for Minors

TALLAHASSEE, FL—Gov. Ron DeSantis fretted Thursday that if Kamala Harris becomes President, her administration would "wield the administrative state" against Florida and other governments that have banned transgender surgeries and hormones for minors.

"Depending on how the outcome of the election goes, I could absolutely see a Harris administration try to wield the administrative state against states that have done things like we did to protect minors from the mutilation procedures," DeSantis said at a Thursday press conference. He wondered aloud if a Harris presidency may even mean "jamming men in women's sports", referencing a 2021 Florida law prohibiting men from participating in female sports, a direct contradiction to Biden's position on the subject.

In May 2023, the Republican-controlled Legislature passed a law prohibiting puberty blockers, hormones, and transitional surgeries for Florida minors. Those who were in the medication process, however, were allowed to continue their transition.  U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle blocked the law a month later.

Now, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta in a 2-1 decision, allowed the law to be enacted—blocking Hinkle's ruling—while litigation continues.

DeSantis, meanwhile, railed against the "irreversible surgeries", condemning activists who would allow a 14-year-old to transition, but not to "drink a beer" or "get a tattoo".

"In the state of Florida, we're not going to be a cottage industry for the mutilation of minors. That is not happening on my watch," he continued, insisting that doctors who perform these procedures should be sued. "A lot of the dysphoria that happens with young people resolves itself by the time they become 18 or 19. That's like 80-some percent of the cases...What happens is when they get older, they have huge problems—some of them get sterilized with this."

At least 26 states have banned or restricted transgender therapies for minors, though many (like Florida) face lawsuits, NBC reported.