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Now THIS is how you kick off a news conference at the Department of Health and Human Services:

"Men are men. Men can never become women. Women are women. Women can never become men. Children are innocent and they need our protection." pic.twitter.com/Fj3c6nmJmE

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 18, 2025

 Benny Johnson's post shares a video clip from a December 18, 2025, press conference at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill opened with this statement:

“Men are men. Men can never become women. Women are women. Women can never become men. Children are innocent and they need our protection.”

The clip has gone viral in conservative circles, garnering over 1 million views and strong positive engagement.Policy ContextThis statement aligns with major announcements made that day by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. The Trump administration proposed rules to restrict gender-affirming care for minors nationwide by leveraging Medicare and Medicaid funding:

• Hospitals providing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or surgeries to minors would risk losing eligibility for Medicare/Medicaid participation (which funds nearly half of U.S. hospital care).
• Federal Medicaid/CHIP funds would no longer cover such treatments for those under 18.

These measures build on state-level bans and aim to effectively limit access in most facilities. Major medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics have criticized the moves, arguing they endanger transgender youth.Scientific Backing for Child ProtectionStudies on childhood gender dysphoria show high natural resolution rates without medical intervention. For example:

• A 2021 follow-up by Singh, Bradley, and Zucker found that the majority of boys referred for gender concerns in childhood no longer experienced dysphoria in adolescence/adulthood.
• Earlier reviews (e.g., Zucker, 2018) of clinic-referred children indicated desistance rates of 80–95% by puberty, meaning symptoms resolve naturally in most cases.

Critics argue these figures include subthreshold cases or are outdated, but the pattern supports a cautious, protective approach for minors.