Trump to BAN trans people in US Armed Forces, DEI programs in new EO: report

Trump revoked a Biden-era order that allowed transgender individuals to serve in the US Armed Forces. The EO will establish pronoun usage as well as policy surrounding gender and will prohibit those who identify as transgender from joining the military, citing mental health issues as well as physical abilities, according to the New York Post.

“Unit cohesion requires high levels of integrity and stability among service members,” a draft of the order reads. The Department of Defense will be directed to implement the policy after Trump signs the order. Newly confirmed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has vowed to remove woke policies in the Pentagon and military.

There can be “no accommodation for anything less than resilience, strength, and the ability to withstand extraordinary physical demands,” the EO reads. “Individuals who are unable to meet these requirements are unable to serve in the military. This has been the case for decades."

The order from Trump continues, “It can take a minimum of 12 months for an individual to complete treatments after transition surgery, which often involves the use of heavy narcotics. During this period, they are not physically capable of meeting military readiness requirements and require ongoing medical care. This is not conducive for deployment or other readiness requirements."

According to the Post, there is no official number of transgender servicemembers on active or reserve duty, but there are estimates that suggest it is around 15,000. In addition to the policy on transgender individuals, Trump has directed Pete Hegseth to ban "invented and identification-based pronouns" in the military.

"Today’s Order moves our military away from this dark period and renews esprit de corps, readiness, and focus. It returns the Pentagon to the warfighter,” the document reads, regarding getting rid of DEI policies. “This Order also combats ideologies that seek to divide our Armed Forces by race, sex or other immutable characteristics and thus tear at cohesion and military efficacy."

Hegseth promised to root out DEI programs in the armed forces. He was confirmed on Friday with vote of 51-50 after Vice President JD Vance delivered the tie-breaker.