Trump Considers Ban on Transgender Military Service
"Combat Unit Burden Will Increase," Warning Issued
Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, is reportedly preparing an executive order to expel 'transgender' soldiers from the U.S. military.
Foreign media outlets such as The Times cited internal sources on the 25th (local time), reporting that the executive order could be announced on January 20th next year, when Trump officially takes office as president.
If this executive order passes, transgender soldiers currently serving in the U.S. military will be classified as 'unfit for military service due to illness' and will be discharged as medical personnel. Along with this, President-elect Trump plans to ban transgender individuals from enlisting in the military.
The U.S. Department of Defense has conducted various diversity campaigns over the past several years. U.S. Department of Defense website
During his presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly criticized some senior military officers for being obsessed with 'diversity.' In particular, he claimed that the 'Woke' (progressive agenda and related culture), which has gained popularity in some parts of the American progressive camp, has also taken root in the military. It is reported that Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host nominated as Secretary of Defense, agrees with Trump’s views.
Moreover, this is not the first time Trump has attempted to introduce a 'ban on transgender enlistment' law. During his first administration in 2017, he issued a similar executive order. However, at that time, transgender individuals were not barred from enlisting, and those already serving were allowed to continue their service. If the executive order currently being prepared passes, it will be a much stricter measure than during the first administration.
The media estimates that about 15,000 transgender soldiers are currently serving in the U.S. military. If they are all discharged at once, some units within the military could face manpower shortages. Currently, about 2.08 million active-duty personnel and 780,000 civilian contractors serve in the U.S. military.
Following the report, Rachel Branneman, director of the American Modern Military Association, a U.S. organization supporting LGBTQ+ soldiers, warned, "Suddenly discharging these individuals (transgender soldiers) will add administrative burdens to combat units and undermine unit cohesion," adding, "As a result, it could deteriorate the U.S. military."
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