The Trump administration is trying to bribe trans troops to quit the military by offering them double the amount of severance pay they would get if they leave involuntarily.

A recent memo advised members of the Air and Space Forces to seek voluntary separation or suffer the threat of involuntary discharge after March 26. In addition to earning double the pay, troops who leave on their own will “not have to repay any bonuses received prior to the date of this memorandum, even if they have a remaining service obligation.”

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Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Gwendolyn R. DeFilippi reiterated in the memo the administration’s claim that service members with gender dysphoria are “incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service.” It was filed as part of Talbott v. Trump, a case brought by GLAD Law and Lambda Legal to fight Donald Trump’s trans military ban.

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Trump’s executive order, “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” claims that trans service members are “incompatible” with military service and that gender-affirming care is a drain on military resources. But the Saturday filing is bereft of facts proving either claim.

“The Department of Defense does not track service members or applicants by gender identity and has no means of searching for the requested information,” government lawyers told the judge in the filing.

Administration lawyers also admitted that the Pentagon spent just $52 million on gender-affirming care for trans troops over the course of almost a decade (the military has an almost trillion-dollar budget). The amount “is but a small fraction of DoD’s overall budget,” government lawyers confessed.

The administration also failed to name any other mental health condition besides gender dysphoria that would disqualify service members for “honesty, humility, and integrity,” which the ban cites as justification to expel trans troops and officers.

The filing was the latest indication that the administration faces high legal hurdles in its mission to purge the military of trans service members. A lack of confidence in the ban’s legal standing could explain the administration’s attempt at bribery.

While the administration continues to come up short with facts justifying the trans ban, it’s moving to discredit the judge overseeing Talbott v. Trump.

Last week, the Justice Department filed a complaint against U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes for “hostile and egregious misconduct.” The complaint filed with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals accuses Reyes of using the acronym “WTF” in court and questioning a DOJ lawyer about his religion.

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