President Trump announced on Wednesday morning that transgender individuals will not be permitted to serve in the military.
President Trump announced Wednesday morning that transgender individuals will not be permitted to serve in the military.
“After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military," Trump said on Twitter. "Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you.”
Trump’s statement comes just weeks after the Pentagon said it would be giving the matter six months of consideration, notes CNN.
Defense Secretary James Mattis wrote in a late June memo, “We will use this additional time to evaluate more carefully the impact of such accessions on readiness and lethality," adding, “this action in no way presupposes the outcome of the review."
The Military Times reports, Mattis made the comments ahead of the July 1 policy deadline put in place in 2016 by then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who lifted the ban on transgender people joining the military, but allowed time for regulation development.
