A senior official at a major Trump-aligned policy institute has openly acknowledged that restrictions on transgender medical care for children represent a stepping stone toward eliminating such treatments for adults as well.
Jennifer Bauwens, who directs research on family issues at the America First Policy Institute, made the comment during a Washington event last month. When asked about the organization's stance on medical transition for adults, she said that policy efforts often target "low-hanging fruit" to secure victories that allow the movement to "keep forging ahead" toward a broader goal of stopping all gender-affirming care regardless of age.
"We're not going to quit until we see this thing totally and completely overturned," Bauwens said, according to a recording of the event.
The America First Policy Institute wields considerable influence over administration policy. The organization claims to have placed at least 73 staffers in Trump's second term, including eight at the cabinet level, and says the administration has implemented more than 90 percent of its policy agenda.
For now, the White House has focused restrictions narrowly on minors. Five executive orders signed early in Trump's second term targeted transgender rights in military service, schools, sports, medical facilities, and legal documents, with medical restrictions limited to people under 19. Medicare and Medicaid Services has also proposed rules that would ban gender-affirming care for young people at all hospitals receiving federal funds.
When asked whether the administration intended to pursue adult restrictions, White House spokesperson Kush Desai deflected, saying only that the administration would "continue to defend girls' sports and block unscientific and irreversible child transition procedures."
Scott Centorino, a former Trump staffer who spent last year working on gender policy at the Domestic Policy Council, offered a more candid view of the administration's approach. Speaking at the same AFPI event, Centorino said the president gave him "pretty much a blank check" and "there was essentially no leash." He described proposed Medicare rules targeting youth as a "nuclear weapon" that only an administration willing to be "disruptive" would deploy.
In a subsequent interview, Centorino acknowledged internal disagreement about pursuing adult restrictions. "There are different views in the administration about how much to prioritize policy changes relevant to adults," he said, attributing the disagreement to public opinion differences. He characterized the White House focus as "laser focused" on youth for now.
Bauwens appeared to take a longer view. Speaking to the audience about younger age groups, she suggested that policy wins on minors were shifting public opinion in ways that would eventually create room to "protect more people," language the institute uses to describe its agenda.
The institute has been escalating its efforts beyond medical restrictions. On the day of the event, AFPI published a model state bill authored by Bauwens targeting social transition, which refers to using a transgender person's chosen name and pronouns. The bill would prohibit licensed mental health professionals from initiating, recommending, or facilitating social transition for minors, even with parental consent. Violations could result in license revocation or civil penalties.
Bauwens cited therapeutic interests in defending the measure, releasing a statement after a recent Supreme Court ruling about conversion therapy that emphasized therapists' need for "freedom to listen, ask hard questions, and speak truthfully without fear of government punishment."
Author James Rodriguez: "The gap between what officials say in boardrooms and what they claim publicly is narrowing fast, and it reveals the real endgame."
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