Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order to remove all transgender individuals from the U.S. military when he returns to the White House on January 20. About 15,000 active service members are transgender, and this order would discharge them for being deemed unfit to serve. It would also ban transgender people from joining the military.
Trump has criticized what he calls “woke” military practices, claiming that some leaders focus too much on diversity instead of readiness. Unlike a previous order from his first term, which allowed existing transgender personnel to stay, this new order would remove even long-serving members.
The military is currently struggling to recruit enough personnel, with only the Marine Corps meeting its goals. Military charities warn that this ban would hurt military readiness and create challenges, as losing over 15,000 service members would result in a loss of experience and leadership.
Trump has appointed Pete Hegseth as his defense secretary, who has been against providing medical care for transgender personnel. Transgender service members say the ban would cause personal hardship and disrupt military operations, as their skills are vital and hard to replace. They argue that the costs associated with gender dysphoria treatment are manageable and would not impact the military as claimed.
