This morning President Trump issued a statement on Twitter, saying,
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. 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
President Trump’s announcement marks a reinstatement of the military’s longstanding policy concerning transgender individuals.
On July 1, 2016, the Obama Administration began allowing openly transgender individuals in the military. Prior to that, transgender individuals were excluded from the U.S. military.
Below is a press release from our colleagues at Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. concerning today’s announcement.
WASHINGTON, DC — Family Research Council (FRC) praised President Trump’s decision today rescinding the Obama era transgender policy. A Rasmussen survey released last month finds “just 23% of likely U.S. voters think the U.S. military’s decision to allow openly transgender people to serve is good for the military.”
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, a Marine veteran, released the following statement:
“I applaud President Trump for keeping his promise to return to military priorities — and not continue the social experimentation of the Obama era that has crippled our nation’s military. The military can now focus its efforts on preparing to fight and win wars rather than being used to advance the Obama social agenda.
“President Trump recognizes what the nation’s military leadership and the American people realize, this Obama policy makes no sense.
“The last thing we should be doing is diverting billions of dollars from mission-critical training to something as controversial as gender reassignment surgery. However, the cost to readiness, recruitment, retention, morale and cohesion would have been even greater under the Obama policy. As our nation faces serious national security threats, our troops shouldn’t be forced to endure hours of transgender ‘sensitivity’ classes and politically-correct distractions like this one.
“Now that we are assured that the Defense Department has its fiscal priorities in order, Family Research Council withdraws our opposition to increasing the budget of the Department of Defense through the ‘Make America Secure Appropriations Act’ and looks forward to seeing that legislation pass,” concluded Perkins.
Transgender Policy Could Cost Military Billions Over Ten Years
