Karoline Leavitt Celebrates Closure Of Transgender Hospital Programs For Kids: ‘Barbaric Procedures’

WASHINGTON — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt celebrated news Thursday that multiple hospitals have halted their transgender procedures for children, telling reporters that President Donald Trump “wants to protect the innocence of children.”

Leavitt highlighted news that the largest provider of so-called “gender-affirming care,” the Center for Trans Youth Health and Development at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, is closing in response to the Trump administration’s promise to cut federal funding for institutions that are transitioning children.

That program is one of a number that are shutting down or halting the irreversible treatments for children — Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center “paused” puberty blocker and hormone replacement therapy for children, according to policy documents covered by a local outlet.

Asked by The Daily Wire during the White House press briefing on Thursday if the nation should expect to see more closures, Leavitt responded: “The president spoke a lot about this issue, which is a political issue, but also really a cultural issue that impacts children and families. He talked about it a lot on the campaign, and I think he was quite surprised by the uptick we were seeing in the embracement by the Democrat Party when it comes to the chemical castration and mutilation of young, innocent bodies.”

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 17: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calls on reporters during a press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on July 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“The president made it a very early priority to sign very strong executive orders to cut off the funding for any hospital or any medical facility in this country that provides such barbaric procedures,” Leavitt stressed. “And, as a result of that strong policy and the president’s strong common sense position on this issue, we’ve had such an overwhelming response, which is great for children …”

The White House press secretary then listed off a number of these hospitals that have halted their transgender programs for children.

“Phoenix Children’s Hospital has stopped providing puberty blockers and hormone therapy to minors,” she said. “In California, Stanford Medicine ended sex change surgeries for minors. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is closing its center for Trans Youth Health and Development surgical program. In Illinois, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago stopped sex change surgeries.”

“Again, let’s think about what we’re talking about here,” Leavitt told the assembled reporters. “Sex change surgeries for minors. These are barbaric practices that no children, no child, innocent child should have to endure.”

“The president wants to protect the innocence of children, and I know the vast majority of Americans support him in that effort,” she added. “This is a wildly popular and common sense endeavor this administration has taken, and we’ve seen many of these medical institutions have followed through with the president’s executive orders, but we’ll continue to take further action on this important issue.”

President Trump’s bold executive actions are protecting American children from irreversible chemical and surgical mutilation and the facilities that offer these barbaric services are shutting down as a result.

Thanks to President Trump, gender ideology insanity is over. pic.twitter.com/ZvXALDaQae

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) July 17, 2025

In an X post following the briefing, Leavitt again celebrated the news, tweeting: “President Trump’s bold executive actions are protecting American children from irreversible chemical and surgical mutilation and the facilities that offer these barbaric services are shutting down as a result.”

“Thanks to President Trump,” she added, “gender ideology insanity is over.”