WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday barring federal support for gender-affirming medical care for people under the age of 19, according to the White House.

“It is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another,” Trump said, calling the treatments “destructive and life-altering.”

The directive instructs federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, to end coverage for such care under Medicaid, TRICARE and other federal insurance programs. It also urges the Justice Department to pursue litigation and draft legislation opposing gender-affirming medical practices for minors.

Last Monday, Trump signed an executive order titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government."

It mandates that the federal government recognize only two biological sexes, male and female, as determined at conception.